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HANDBOUND 
AT  THE 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
TORONTO  PRESS 


■^m 


g^r'2^ 


ifioxxis  nnti  f-Rorgan's  ILatin  S/txicQ 

ED/TED  FOR    USE  AV  SCHOOLS  AND   COLLEGES 
UNDER  THE  SUPERVISION   OF 

EDWARD    P.   MORRIS,   M.A., 

PROFESSOR   OF   LATIN    IN   YALE    UNIVERSITY 
AND 

MORRIS   H.  MORGAN,   Ph.D., 

PROFESSOR   OF  CLASSICAL   PHILOLOGY    IN    HARVARD    UNIVERSITY 


HeilSnxM 

HORACE 
THE    ODES,    EPODES 

AND 

CARMEN    SAECULARE 


EDITED,  WITH  INTRODUCTION  AND  COMMENTARY, 
BY 

CLIFFORD    HERSCHEL   MOORE,  Ph.D. 

ASSISTANT   PROFESSOR   OF  (IREEK  AND   LATIN 
IN   HARVARD   UNIVERSITY 


NEW  YORK  •:■  CINCINNATI  •:•  CHICAGO 

AMERICAN    BOOK    COMPANY 


Copyright,  1902,  bv 
EDWARD   P.    MORRIS  and  MORRIS   H     MORGAN. 

Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London. 


MOORE,   HORACE. 
VV.   P.   I 


MEMORIAE   PATRIS 


PREFACE 

In  preparing  this  edition  of  Horace's  lyrical  poems,  I 
have  had  in  mind  the  needs  of  freshmen  and  sophomores. 
The  introduction  is  intended  to  give  the  necessary  infor- 
mation as  to  the  poet's  Hfe  and  writings.  The  text  is  the 
vulgate,  although  in  some  passages  I  have  preferred  the 
better  manuscript  tradition.  As  young  students  require 
no  little  help  if  they  are  to  understand  as  well  as  translate 
the  Epodes  and  Odes,  I  have  not  limited  my  commentary 
to  the  baldest  aids,  but  have  tried  to  give  such  assistance 
in  interpretation  as  may  help  students  to  some  apprecia- 
tion of  Horace's  art  and  charm.  The  best  illustrations 
naturally  are  furnished  by  the  poet's  own  works ;  but  I 
have  endeavored  to  show  his  relations  to  his  Greek  models 
by  quoting  from  them  as  freely  as  my  space  and  judgment 
allowed.  To  all  the  more  difficult  Greek  passages  I  have 
appended  translations,  both  for  the  benefit  of  those  who 
cannot  call  themselves  docti  serniones  titrmsque  linguae, 
and  in  the  hope  that  these  translations  may  secure  the 
originals  more  attention  than  students  generally  give  to 
them.  I  have  further  given  a  number  of  quotations  from 
the  later  Latin  poets  to  indicate  in  some  degree  the  ready 
acceptance  which  Horace's  skillful  phrases  found  among 
his  successors.  In  writing  my  notes  I  have  drawn  freely 
on  the  fimd  of  illustrative  material  which  is  now  common 
property ;  like  every  other  editor,  I  am  indebted  to  Keller 

7 


8  PREFACE 

and  Holder's  first  volume ;  and  I  have  used  most  of  the 
important  foreign  annotated  editions,  especially  Orelli's 
fourth  edition,  and  those  of  Schiitz,  KiessHng,  and  Mueller. 
Although  for  obvious  reasons  I  have  avoided  consulting 
any  American  edition,  I  am  aware  that  my  debt  to  Pro- 
fessor Smith's  excellent  book,  which  I  have  used  in  my 
teaching  for  some  years,  must  be  greater  than  I  know.  In 
the  three  or  four  places  where  I  have  detected  direct  in- 
debtedness, I  have  acknowledged  it. 

The  notes  to  the  earlier  Epodes  are  rather  full,  as  I 
firmly  believe  that  at  least  Epodes  i,  2,  7,  9,  and  16  should 
be  read  before  the  Odes ;  but  since  many  teachers  do  not 
hold  this  view,  I  have  adapted  my  commentary  on  the  first 
book  to  meet  the  needs  of  beginners  there  also. 

I  am  under  obligations  to  many  for  criticism  and  help. 
My  thanks  are  especially  due  Miss  S.  H.  Ballou,  Instructor 
in  the  University  of  Chicago,  for  the  valuable  assistance 
she  gave  me  in  the  earlier  part  of  my  work ;  also  to  Pro- 
fessor Morris,  who  kindly  gave  me  the  benefit  of  his  criti- 
cisms on  my  notes  to  the  first  two  books  of  the  Odes ;  but 
above  all  to  Professor  Morgan,  whose  suggestions  and 
criticisms  have  been  of  the  greatest  value  at  every  stage. 
Notice  of  errors  and  suggestions  of  every  kind  will  be 
gratefully  received  by  me. 


CLIFPORD   HERSCHEL  MOORE. 


Harvard  University, 
June  I,  1902. 


CONTENTS 


Maps: 

Central  Italy  ..... 

The  Valleys  of  the  Anio  and  the  Digentia 

Introduction  : 

Horace's  Life,  Works,  and  Characteristics 
Manuscripts,  Scholia,  and  Editions 
Metres 
Syntax 

Odes,  Books  1-3 

Book  4  . 

Carmen  Saeculare 

Epodes 

Index  to  First  Lines 


INTRODUCTION 

I .  Early  Life  and  Education.  —  Quintus  Horatius  Flaccus  was 
born  Dec.  8,  65  b.c,  at  Venusia,  a  colony  founded  in  the  time  of 
the  Samnite  Wars,  on  the  borders  of  Apulia,  near  Lucania.  His 
father  had  been  a  slave,  but  was  free  at  the  time  of  Horace's 
birth,  so  that  the  son  was  ingenuus.  His  mother  is  never  men- 
tioned, and  it  is  probable  that  she  died  while  the  child  was  too 
young  to  remember  her.  His  father  was  by  profession  a  coactor, 
a  collector  of  moneys  for  goods  sold  at  public  auctions,  who  by 
his  thrift  acquired  a  property  sufificient  to  provide  his  son  with  the 
best  education  obtainable  in  his  time.  In  later  years  Horace  paid 
a  most  sincere  tribute  of  gratitude  to  his  father's  devotion  and 
sagacity.  From  him  he  learned  a  rude  but  practical  code  of 
morals,  and  it  is  undoubtedly  to  his  influence  that  we  may  at- 
tribute the  poet's  marked  characteristics  of  moderation,  temper- 
ance, and  self-control ;  to  his  father's  training  was  also  due 
Horace's  habit  of  observing  men  and  manners,  which  bore  fruit 
in  the  shrewd  and  searching  comments  on  life  which  have  en- 
deared him  to  many  generations  of  men. 

Up  to  the  age  of  nine  or  ten  Horace  enjoyed  such  education 
as  the  local  school  in  Venusia  afforded.  Then  his  father,  whose 
sole  ambition  was  to  provide  his  son  with  the  best  education  that 
could  be  had,  unselfishly  gave  up  his  business  at  Venusia,  and 
took  the  boy  to  Rome.  Here  he  gave  him  proper  attendants, 
provided  him  with  suitable  dress  that  he  might  not  be  ashamed 
among  his  high-born  and  wealthy  schoolfellows,  and  with  rare 
devotion  attended  the  boy  h\m?,e\{  2i^  paedagogus. 


§  i]  INTRODUCTION 

During  the  next  nine  or  ten  years  Horace  received  the  ordinary 
literary  and  rhetorical  training  ;  under  the  rod  of  the  schoolmaster 
Orbilius,  whom  he  has  immortalized  with  the  adjective  plagosus 
{Epist.  2,  I,  70),  he  studied  Latin  literature,  reading  the  works 
of  Livius  Andronicus  and  other  old  Roman  poets,  for  whom  he 
apparently  felt  little  admiration ;  his  studies  also  included  the 
I/iad  and  probably  other  Greek  classics,  and  we  can  hardly  doubt 
that  this  early  study  of  Greek  literature  roused  that  enthusiasm  for 
it  which  lasted  all  his  life. 

In  his  twentieth  year  Horace  went  to  Greece  to  finish  his 
studies  at  Athens,  which  had  become  a  kind  of  university  town 
to  which  it  was  the  fashion  for  young  men  of  his  generation  to 
resort.  Among  his  fellow  students  were  Cicero's  son,  Marcus,  and 
M.  Valerius  Messala.  During  the  next  two  years  he  heard  lectures 
by  the  leaders  of  the  various  philosophic  schools,  without  being 
seriously  attracted  by  any  one  system.  Speculative  thought  had 
little  interest  for  him,  or  indeed  for  his  fellow  countrymen  in 
general ;  questions  relating  rather  to  conduct  interested  the  Roman 
mind,  and  while  Horace  never  gave  himself  up  to  any  system  of 
ethics,  Epicureanism  attracted  him  at  first ;  on  growing  older 
he  turned  more  and  more  to  the  teachings  of  the  Stoics,  as  the 
Stoic  maxims  and  paradoxes  in  his  odes  abundantly  testify ; 
yet  no  one  had  a  keener  sense  than  he  for  what  was  absurd  in 
Stoic  practice.  His  good  sense  always  tempered  his  philosophy, 
and  in  all  matters  of  conduct  he  steered  a  middle  course.  It 
is  also  most  probable  that  during  his  stay  in  Athens  he  continued 
his  study  of  the  Greek  poets,  particularly  of  Archilochus  and  the 
early  lyricists,  especially  Alcaeus  and  Sappho,  who  afterward  be- 
came his  chief  models.  At  this  time  he  was  ambitious  to  excel 
in  Greek  verse,  but  wisely  forsook  the  practice  later ;  yet  his 
consummate  skill  in  handling  his  own  language  must  have  been 
due  to  his  early  exercises  in  Greek.  By  studying  in  Athens  he 
had  further  the  negative  advantage  of  escaping  the  influence  of 
Alexandrianism  which  prevailed  at  Rome  and  affected  all  con- 


EARLY   LIFE   AND   EDUCATION  [§  i 

temporary  poets.  There,  too,  he  made  many  friendships  which 
lasted  him  through  life. 

In  the  autumn  of  44  B.C.  Brutus  came  to  Athens,  where  the 
people  received  him  with  enthusiasm  as  a  liberator.  The  young 
Roman  nobles  and  Horace  as  well  were  attracted  to  his  cause. 
Why  the  freedman's  son  was  given  the  office  of  military  tribune  in 
the  conspirators'  army — a  position  for  which  he  had  no  training  — 
it  is  hard  to  say,  and  the  appointment  not  unnaturally  aroused 
envy  at  the  time.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  Horace  had 
already  made  some  reputation  among  his  fellow  students  as  a 
skillful  versifier,  and  Brutus'  love  of  literature  induced  him  to 
prefer  the  youth.  Of  Horace's  military  service  we  know  little  ; 
his  writings  show  a  familiarity  with  some  islands  of  the  Aegean 
and  the  famous  cities  of  Asia,  which  was  probably  gained  at  this 
time,  and  it  is  certain  that  he  shared  in  the  defeat  at  Philippi  in 
42  B.C.  No  doubt  he  gave  as  good  an  account  of  himself  during 
his  two  years  of  service  as  his  fellows ;  the  ironical  description  of 
his  flight  at  Philippi  (C.  2,  7,  9  f.)  is  imitated  from  Archilochus 
and  Alcaeus,  and  is  not  to  be  taken  seriously. 

The  defeat  of  the  conspirators'  cause  brought  a  crisis  to  Horace's 
life,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  taught  him  the  meaning  of  the 
vicissitudes  of  fortune ;  it  seems  also  to  have  cured  him  of  any 
political  or  social  ambitions  he  may  have  cherished.  He  gradually 
accepted  the  new  order  of  things,  at  first  despairing  of  the  state  ; 
but  later,  after  the  battle  of  Actium  had  freed  Rome  from  external 
dangers,  he  enthusiastically  proclaimed  the  permanence  of  the 
Empire  and  celebrated  the  beneficence  of  Augustus'  rule.  But 
his  entire  life  after  his  experience  at  PhiHppi  was  that  of  a  man  of 
letters,  who  mixed  much  with  men  rather  as  an  observer  than  as  a 
participant  in  their  life.  His  later  history  falls  into  three  periods 
of  about  ten  years  each  :  first,  from  his  return  to  Rome  to  29  B.C., 
the  period  during  which  he  published  his  two  books  of  Satires  and 
the  collection  of  Epodes ;  second,  29-19  b.c,  the  period  of 
his  maturity,  in  which  his  genius   reached   its    height.      During 

13 


§§  1-2]  INTRODUCTION 

these  ten  years  he  published  the  first  three  books  of  Odes  (23  b.c.) 
and  the  first  book  of  the  Epistles  (20  b.c.)  .  Of  his  personal  history 
during  the  last  decennium  (19-8  b.c.)  we  know  but  little.  He 
was  less  productive  than  in  the  two  previous  periods,  publishing 
only  the  Carmen  Saeculare  (17  B.C.),  the  fourth  book  of  Odes 
(after  13  B.C.),  and  the  two  literary  epistles,  which,  with  the  Ars 
Poetica,  form  a  second  book  of  Epistles. 

2.  Return  to  Rome. — ^  The  general  amnesty  granted  by  Octa- 
vian  after  the  battle  of  Philippi  allowed  Horace  to  return  to  Italy. 
His  father  evidently  died  before  his  return,  and  he  came  back  to 
find  that  Venusia,  where  his  estate  was  situated,  had  been  in- 
cluded in  the  districts  assigned  to  the  veterans  of  the  victorious 
army,  so  that  he  -was  thrown  on  his  own  resources.  His  means 
sufficed  to  buy  him  a  position  as  clerk  to  the  quaestors,  by  which 
his  support  was  secured.  In  his  leisure  he  turned  to  writing 
Latin  verses. 

Horace  had  now  at  the  age  of  twenty- four  acquired  consider- 
able experience  in  the  good  and  ill  fortunes  of  life,  and  had  lived 
through  some  important  national  crises.  During  his  school  days  in 
Rome  he  had  seen  the  rupture  between  Caesar  and  Pompey,  and 
was  old  enough  to  understand  something  of  the  serious  danger  to 
the  state  which  it  involved  ;  Caesar's  supreme  position  was  well 
established  before  he  went  to  Athens,  and  he  had  had  a  part  in 
the  final  struggle  between  the  would-be  '  liberators '  and  the  dic- 
tator's successors.  While  he  never  after  showed  any  desire  to 
have  a  share  in  politics,  it  is  most  probable  that  these  experi- 
ences of  his  early  manhood  caused  him  to  think  and  feel  earnestly 
on  matters  of  state,  so  that  in  later  life,  when  he  had  heartily 
accepted  the  new  regime,  he  expressed  himself  on  subjects 
touching  the  well-being  of  the  nation  with  a  warmth  which  no 
other  theme  except  personal  friendship  called  forth.  He  lived 
to  see  the  national  dangers  removed,  the  Empire  firmly  estab- 
lished, and  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  peace  under  the  rule  of 
Augustus. 

14 


THE   SATIRES   AND   EPODES  [§§  3-4 

3.  The  Satires.  —  As  has  been  said  above,  Horace  had  prac- 
ticed Greek  verses  in  the  courses  of  his  studies.  He  now  turned 
to  composition  in  his  native  language.  When  he  began  to  write, 
Varius  Rufus  was  the  epic  poet  of  the  day,  having  won  that  posi- 
tion by  his  epic  poem  on  the  death  of  Juhus  Caesar,  published 
before  39  B.C. ;  Asinius  Pollio  was  distinguished  in  tragedy ;  and 
Vergil  was  beginning  to  be  known  for  his  bucolic  poems.  The 
field  of  satire  as  practiced  by  Lucilius  (ca.  180-103  B.C.),  com- 
ments in  verse  on  the  most  miscellaneous  topics,  appealed  to 
Horace,  and  in  the  leisure  which  his  official  duties  left  him  he 
began  to  write  in  hexameters  after  the  manner  of  his  model.  He 
understood  that  politics  could  no  longer  be  frankly  treated,  and, 
with  few  exceptions,  he  avoided  personal  attack ;  but  his  nature 
and  training  had  made  him  a  keen  observer  of  the  life  about  him. 
This  life  he  chose  for  his  subject,  and  handled  its  different  phases 
in  the  familiar  tone  of  a  man  of  the  world ;  he  always  speaks  as 
one  of  the  company  at  whose  weaknesses  he  laughs,  never  preach- 
ing or  setting  himself  up  as  superior  to  his  fellow-mortals.  Horace 
was  blessed  with  a  keen  sense  of  humor  as  well  as  clear  insight,  so 
that  these  sketches  have  always  been  held  in  high  esteem,  not 
only  for  their  cleverness  and  wit,  but  also  because  no  other  works 
in  Latin  literature  give  us  such  vivid  pictures  of  the  actual  life  in 
which  the  author  shared.  While  Horace  made  a  great  advance 
on  the  metrical  art  of  his  model,  he  never  called  his  satires  poetry. 
His  own  name  was  sennones,  '  familiar  talks,'  and  he  declared 
that  they  were  only  distinguished  from  prose  by  the  rhythm. 
They  were  written  at  various  times  during  the  decennium  follow- 
ing his  return,  and  many  were  undoubtedly  known  before  they 
were  gathered  together  into  books.  The  first  book  was  published 
before  33,  the  most  probable  date  is  35/34 ;  the  second  in 
30  B.C. 

4.  The  Epodes. — At  the  time  when  he  began  to  write  satire, 
Horace  also  attempted  to  introduce  into  Latin  a  new  form  of  verse, 
the  epodic  couplet,  consisting  of  two  verses,  the  second  of  which 

15 


§§4-5]  INTRODUCTION 

forms  a  refrain  {epodus,  cirwSds)  to  the  first.  In  this  he  was  a 
conscious  imitator  of  Archilochus,  who,  in  the  seventh  century  B.C., 
had  perfected  this  form  in  iambic  measure,  and  used  it  as  the 
sharpest  weapon  of  personal  attack.  The  name  which  Horace, 
following  Archilochus,  gave  his  verses  —  iambi  —  can  apply  prop- 
erly to  only  the  first  ten  of  the  seventeen  in  the  present  collection. 
The  remaining  seven  are  in  different  measures,  but  only  one,  the 
seventeenth,  lacks  the  epodic  form ;  so  that  in  time  the  name 
Epodes  drove  out  Horace's  designation.  While  Horace  shows 
himself  equal  to  his  model  in  form,  he  exhibits  Httle  of  the  passion 
ascribed  to  Archilochus.  Eight  epodes  show  the  invective  spirit, 
two  exhibit  a  coarseness  of  thought  and  expression  which  does 
not  appear  later,  but  others  have  nothing  aggressive  in  them. 
The  first,  for  example,  is  a  plea  to  be  allowed  to  accompany  Mae- 
cenas to  Actium  ;  the  ninth  is  a  song  of  joy  over  the  victory  gained 
there  ;  the  seventh  and  sixteenth  deal  with  the  conditions  of  the 
state  ;  the  second  is  an  idyl  on  the  joys  of  country  life  ;  and  the 
others  have  little  of  the  invective  spirit.  They  were  written  at 
various  times  between  40  and  3 1  B.C. ;  the  sixteenth  is  probably 
to  be  referred  to  the  earlier  date,  and  the  ninth  is  later  than  the 
battle  of  Actium,  Sept.  2,  31  b.c. 

5.  Horace  and  Maecenas.  —  Horace's  verses  brought  him  into 
notice  soon  after  his  return,  and  gained  him  the  friendship  of 
Vergil  and  Varius,  who  introduced  him  to  Maecenas,  apparently 
in  the  spring  of  38  B.C.  Nine  months  later,  in  the  winter  of 
38/37  B.C.,  Maecenas  invited  him  to  join  the  inner  circle  of  his 
friends.  From  this  time  Horace  was  free  from  material  cares ; 
and  about  the  year  33  b.c  he  received  from  his  patron  a  farm  in 
the  valley  of  the  Digentia,  among  the  Sabine  hills,  which  was 
thereafter  his  favorite  home  and  constant  source  of  happiness, 
Maecenas  was  already  at  this  time  the  trusted  friend  and  adviser 
of  Octavian.  In  36  B.C.,  when  Octavian  set  out  from  Rome  for 
his  campaign  against  Sextus  Pompey,  and  in  31  B.C.,  during  the 
final   struggle   with   Antony   and   Cleopatra,  Maecenas   was   left 

16 


HORACE   AND    MAECENAS  [§  5 

as  his  representative  with  almost  complete  power ;  and  with  the 
exception  of  a  temporary  estrangement  in  23  b.c,  when  he  indis- 
creetly betrayed  to  his  wife  Terentia  the  discovery  of  the  plot 
which  her  brother,  Licinius  Murena,  was  forming  against  Augustus, 
he  remained  the  emperor's  most  trusted  adviser.  Naturally,  when 
Augustus'  position  was  firmly  established,  Maecenas  was  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  displaced  by  the  members  of  the  imperial  family ;  but 
the  friendship  between  him  and  Augustus  continued  to  the  end. 
With  all  his  opportunity  and  power,  Maecenas  declined  politi- 
cal preferment,  and  remained  a  '  knight '  throughout  his  life.  He 
had  a  native  taste  for  literature,  was  a  master  of  the  Greek  lan- 
guage, and  wrote  some  mediocre  verses  himself;  but  it  was  by  his 
wise  patronage  of  men  of  letters  that  he  won  a  permanent  place 
in  the  grateful  memory  of  men.  He  had  no  doubt  a  political  pur- 
pose in  his  patronage  also,  for  he  saw  that  literature  might  be 
used  to  support  and  establish  the  new  regime.  Yet  he  imposed 
no  fettering  conditions  on  those  to  whom  he  gave  his  favor  :  we 
know  {Epoii.  14)  that  he  urged  Horace  to  publish  his  Epodes; 
that  Vergil  wrote  the  Georgics  at  his  suggestion ;  that  he  advised 
Propertius  to  undertake  some  larger  themes ;  but  nowhere  is 
there  any  hint  that  he  ever  exacted  any  return  for  his  favor  which 
would  not  have  been  spontaneously  made.  Of  the  circle  he  gath- 
ered about  him,  Vergil,  Horace,  and  Propertius  achieved  most 
permanent  fame.  Others  were  L.  Varius  Rufus,  Plotius  Tucca, 
Quintilius  Varus,  Domitius  Marsus,  and  C.  Melissus.  Maecenas' 
favor  assured  Horace  the  friendship  of  these  and  many  others  be- 
sides that  of  Octavian,  so  that  after  37  b.c.  he  had  entrance  into 
the  best  society  of  his  time.  His  friendship  with  Maecenas  was 
commingled  with  gratitude  to  him  for  the  material  aid  he  had 
given ;  but  the  relation  between  the  two  men  had  so  genuine  a 
basis  that  Horace  could  accept  Maecenas'  gifts  without  hesitancy, 
aware  that  his  friendship  was  a  full  return  in  Maecenas'  mind. 
His  acceptance,  too,  involved  no  loss  of  independence,  and  in 
many  passages  he  makes  it  clear  that  he  would  readily  resign  all 
HOR.  CAR.  —  2  17 


§§  5-6]  INTRODUCTION 

the  benefits  conferred  on  him  rather  than  lose  his  freedom  in  the 
slightest  degree. 

\/6.  The  Odes.  —  The  second  period  of  Horace's  literary  activity, 
29-19  B.C.,  was  devoted  chiefly  to  lyric  composition.  He  had 
long  been  a  student  of  Greek  poetry,  and  the  rnodels  he  now  fol- 
lowed were  chiefly  Alcaeus  and  Sappho  (600  B.C.),  whose  measures 
he  adopted  as  his  own,  and  from  whose  works  he  drew  many  themes. 
While  these  two  poets  had  the  greatest  influence  on  him,  still,  as 
the  notes  to  the  odes  will  show,  we  find  evidence  of  the  influence 
of  Homer,  Pindar,  Bacchylides,  Anacreon,  Stesichorus,  and  the 
three  tragedians.  He  drew  also  from  the  Alexandrians,  but  chiefly 
from  Callimachus  and  Theocritus.  Yet  he  followed  no  model 
slavishly,  and  even  in  his  closest  studies  from  the  Greek,  he  made 
the  themes  his  own.  The  earliest  ode  to  which  a  date  can  be 
assigned  with  certainty  is  i,  37,  written  in  30  B.C.,  on  hearing  of 
the  death  of  Cleopatra.  A  few  may  have  been  written  before  this, 
but  not  many.  For  seven  years  Horace  gave  himself  almost  ex- 
clusively to  lyric  verse.  His  mastery  of  form  and  language  was 
now  complete,  and  his  developed  taste  set  a  high  standard  of  per- 
fection. The  eighty-eight  lyrics  which  belong  to  this  period  were 
never  equaled  in  variety  and  perfection  among  the  Romans,  and 
alone  would  entitle  their  author  to  the  immortality  he  has  enjoyed. 
Many  of  these  odes,  —  Horace  called  them  simply  cannina,  — 
especially  those  addressed  to  friends,  were  privately  circulated 
before  they  were  collected  into  the  present  three  books ;  these 
were  published  in   23  B.C.,  as  is'  clear  from  internal  evidence.^ 

1  The  young  Marcellus  died  at  the  end  of  23  B.C.,  but  it  is  hardly  probable 
that  Horace  would  have  published  the  reference  to  him  in  i,  12,  45  f.  in  its 
present  form  after  his  death;  further,  in  2,  10  (and  possibly  3,  19),  Horace 
mentions  Licinius  Murena,  the^rother-in-law  of  Maecenas,  who  was  involved 
in  a  conspiracy  against  Augustus  in  the  latter  half  of  23  B.C.  The  publication 
must  have  been  earlier  than  the  discovery  of  this  plot.  The  latest  reference 
is  to  the  death  of  Quintilius  Varus  in  i,  24,  which  Hieronymus  records  in  23 
B.C.;  and  it  is  probable  that  i,  4,  in  which  L.  Sestius  is  addressed,  was  written 
about  July,  23  B.C.,  when  Sestius  entered  on  his  office  as  consul  suffectus. 

18 


THE  ODES  [§  7 

7.  Arrangement  and  Character  of  the  Odes.  —  In  arranging  his 
lyrics  for  publication,  Horace  placed  at  the  beginning  eleven  odes, 
each  in  a  different  metre,  illustrating  all  the  measures  employed  by 
hini>n  the  three  books  with  the  exception  of  the  unique  rhythms 
in  2,  18;  3,  12.'  Within  this  group  certain  other  principles  of 
arrangement  can  be  detected.  The  first  word  is  Maecenas,  and 
the  opening  poem  virtually  dedicates  the  three  books  to  their 
author's  friend  and  patron,  to  whom  he  had  already  inscribed  his 
Satires  and  Epodes.  The  second_ode  celebrates  Octavian  as  the 
divine  restoren"  pf  order  in  the^stafp  ;  the  third  is  a  farevvelTpoern 
to  Vergj] ;  the  fourth  is  addressed  to  Sestius,  consul  in  the  year  of 
publication.  The  others  are  arranged  to  secure  variety  in  subject 
as  well  as  measure,  a  principle  that  is  observed  generally  through- 
out the  three  books,  so  that  grave  themes  are  relieved  by  light, 
and  a  succession  of  similar  metres  is  for  the  most  part  avoided. 
The  second  book  opens  with  an  ode  to  Asinius  Pollio,  celebrating 
his  literary  powers  and  touching  sadly  on  the  Civil  Wars  of  which 
Pollio  was  about  to  undertake  a  history.  In  the  first  six  odes  of 
the  third  book,  Horace  comes  forward  as  the  teacher  of  the  new 
generation,  and  deals  earnestly  with  the  problems  and  dangers  of 
the  state.  This  is  the  largest  group  of  odes  on  related  themes, 
and  the  Alcaic  metre  is  used  in  all ;  but,  as  if  to  avoid  wearying  his 
reader,  Horace  did  not  insert  another  ode  in  the  same  measure 
until  the  seventeenth.  He  had  also  some  regard  for  chronological 
sequence,  but  this  was  always  subordinate  to  the  principle  of 
variety.  Each  book,  too,  has  certain  characteristics.  In  the  first  \^ 
there  are  a  larger  number  of  studies  from  the  Greek  than  in  the 
other  twoj_  about  half  the  odes  are  on  themes  of  love  and  wine; 
noyvhere  is  any  serious  philosophy  of  life  presented  ;  and  only  five 
(2,  12,  14,  3*5,  ■yi^  show  deep  concern  with  the  stgte.  As  if  to 
emphasize  his  character  as  the  singer  of  light  themes,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  offset  the  serious  notes  in  odes  35  and  37,  Horace 

1  The  tenth  ode,  while  in  Sapphic  measure  liiie  the  second,  still  exhibits 
certain  metrical  peculiarities. 

19 


§§  7-9]  INTRODUCTION 

placed  at  the  end  of  his  book  the  dainty  verses,  Penicos  odi,  puer, 

apparatus,  which  picture  him  at  ease  and  free  from  care. 

/     TJie  odes  of  the  second  book  show  more  reflection,  a  deeper 

/  sense  of  the  poet's  personal  relationsTiip  to  His  friends,  a  more 

I   serious  and  a  graver  attitude  toward  hfe.     His  didactic  odes  here 

\  lay  stress  on  wise  conduct,  and  the  checkings  of  jontoward  desires, 

j  rather  than  on  the  means  of  securing  enjoyment.     The  twenty 

/odes,   with   two   exceptions,    are   composed   in   the   Alcaic  ^nd 

Sapphic  measures. 

In  the  third  book,  Horace  appears  as  the  poet  of  the  new  Rome 
established  by  Augustus.  He  shows  a  conscious  pride  in  his  posi- 
tion as  the  priest  of  the  Muses,  and  his  didactic  odes  have  a  graver 
and  severer  tone  ;  yet  he  relieves  his  serious  themes  here,  as  in  the 
other  books,  by  lighter  and  charming  verses  nowhere  excelled. 
The  unity  of  the  entire  collection  he  emphasized  by  the  form  of 
his  epilogue  in  which  he  repeats  the  lesser  Asclepiadic  measure 
used  in  the  opening  ode  of  the  first  book,  but  not  elsewhere  in 
the  first  three  books.  With  proud  assurance  he  claims  that  by  his 
verse  he  has  defeated  death  itself  and  won  immortal  fame. 

8.  The  First  Book  of  Epistles.  —  With  the  publication  of  his 
odes,  in  23  B.C.,  Horace  seems  to  have  felt  that  his  great  work  was 
done,  and  for  some  years  he  wrote  no  lyrics ;  he  did,  however,  re- 
turn to  his  earlier  habit  of  recording  in  verse  his  observations  on 
life  and  manners,  sermones,  which  he  now  presented  in  the  form  of 
epistles.  In  some  the  epistolary  form  is  only  a  cloak,  but  others 
are  genuine  letters,  one  a  letter  of  introduction.  Some  offer  a 
practical  philosophy  of  life,  others  give  rules  of  conduct,  still 
others  celebrate  the  delights  of  quiet  country  life,  one  is  in  praise 
of  wine.  The  opening  letter  is  to  Maecenas,  and  announces  Hor- 
ace's intention  to  abandon  poetry  and  devote  himself  to  philoso- 
phy. The  collection,  twenty  epistles  in  all,  was  published  after 
the  middle  of  20  b.c. 

9.  The  Carmen  Saeculare  and  Fourth  Book  of  Odes.  —  Horace 
was  not  allowed  to  desert  the  lyric  muse.     The  death  of  Vergil  in 

20 


ODES   AND   EPISTLES  [§§  9-io 

19  B.C.  left  him  the  chief  poet  of  his  day,  and  even  those  who  had 
long  scoffed  at  the  freedman's  son  were  at  last  ready  to  acknowl- 
edge his  preeminence.  His  position  received  official  recognition 
in  17  B.C.  from  the  Emperor,  who  commissioned  him  to  write  a 
hymn  for  the  great  Secular  festival  of  that  year.  A  little  more 
than  two  years  later,  at  the  personal  request  of  Augustus,  he  cele- 
brated the  victories  of  the  young  Neros,  Tiberius  and  Claudius, 
over  the  Alpine  tribes  ;  in  two  other  odes  he  sang  the  praises  of 
the  Emperor's  beneficent  rule.  With  these  he  joined  eleven  other 
lyrics,  mostly  reminiscent  of  his  earlier  themes  ;  two  of  them,  how- 
ever, hymn  the  power  of  poesy.  He  published  the  collection  in 
13  B.C.  It  was  not  dedicated  to  Maecenas,  as  all  his  earlier  pubh- 
cations  had  been ;  such  dedication  would  have  been  out  of  place 
in  a  book  the  most  important  odes  of  which  celebrated  the  imperial 
house.  The  significant  fact  is  that,  while  Horace  was  ready  to 
serve  Augustus  with  his  art,  he  did  not  dedicate  the  book  to  him. 
That  his  friendship  with  his  patron  was  unbroken  is  abundantly 
proved  by  the  eleventh  ode  in  honor  of  Maecenas'  birthday. 

10.  The  Second  Book  of  Epistles.  —  Soon  after  the  publication 
of  the  first  book  of  epistles,  a  young  friend  of  Horace,  Julius  Flo- 
rus,  asked  him  for  some  new  lyrics.  In  answer  Horace  wrote 
another  epistle,  in  which  he  says  that  he  has  renounced  lyric 
verse ;  he  is  too  old  for  it ;  the  distractions  of  the  city  prevent 
composition,  and  careful  work  is  no  longer  appreciated  ;  he  will 
therefore  devote  himself  to  philosophy,  and  seek  that  golden  mean 
which  alone  can  bring  happiness. 

We  hear  from  Suetonius  that  Augustus  chided  Horace  for  having 
failed  to  address  any  of  his  sermones  to  him.  This  reproach  Hor- 
ace could  not  neglect,  and  about  14  B.C.  he  wrote  an  epistle  to  the 
Emperor,  in  which  he  discussed  popular  taste  in  literary  matters, 
and  defended  the  modern  school  to  which  he  belonged  against 
those  who  had  a  blind  admiration  only  for  the  ancient  and  ruder 
literature.  These  two  epistles  he  united  with  a  third  addressed  to 
the  Pisones,  father  and  two  sons,  naturally  putting  the  letter  to 


§§  IO-I3]  INTRODUCTION 

Augustus  in  the  first  place,  and  published  the  three  about  1 3  B.C. 
This  third  epistle  is  of  uncertain  date,  but  probably  written  about 
19-17  B.C.  It  is  a  didactic  treatise  on  the  art  of  poetry,  but  deals 
chiefly  with  dramatic  poetry,  and  with  the  qualifications  —  genius 
and  hard  work —  essential  for  the  poet.  The  common  name,  Ars 
Poetica  (or  De  Arte  Poetica  Liber),  in  all  probability  was  not  given 
it  by  Horace,  but  became  attached  to  it  before  Quintilian's  day. 
By  Hadrian's  time  the  epistle  had  become  separated  from  the  two 
with  which  it  was  originally  published,  and  formed  the  tenth  book 
in  an  edition  of  which  the  four  books  of  Odes,  with  the  Carmen 
Saeculare,  the  Epodes,  the  two  books  of  Satires,  and  two  of  Epis- 
tles were  the  first  nine.  In  the  Mss.  it  regularly  follows  the  Odes ; 
H.  Stephanus  in  the  sixteenth  century  restored  it  to  its  original 
position. 

11.  Chronological  Table  of  Horace's  Works. — 

Satires,  Book  i  35-34  b-C 

Epodes  30 

Satires,  Book  2  30 

Odes,  Books  1-3  23 

Epistles,  Book  i  20 

Carmen  Saeculare  17 

Odes,  Book  4  ca.  13 

Epistles,  Book  2  ca.  13 

12.  Last  Years  and  Death.  —  Of  the  last  years  of  Horace's  life 
we  know  nothing.  Maecenas  died  in  the  spring  of  8  b.c.  ;  his 
dying  charge  to  the  Emperor,  Horati  Flacci  ut  mei  esio  memor, 
bears  witness  to  the  unbroken  friendship  between  the  two  men. 
Horace  survived  his  patron  but  a  few  months,  dying  after  a  brief 
sickness  at  the  close  of  the  same  year.  He  was  buried  near  the 
tomb  of  Maecenas  on  the  Esquiline. 

13.  Personal  Characteristics.  —  Horace  has  left  us  at  the  close 
of  his  first  book  of  Epistles  an  interesting  description  of  himself 
at  the  age  of  forty-four  :  — 


PERSONAL   CHARACTERISTICS  [§  13 

corporis  exigui,  praecanum,  solibus  aptum, 
irasci  cderem,  iamen  ut placabilis  essein. 

"  Short  in  stature,  prematurely  gray,  fond  of  the  sun,  quick  to 
take  offense,  but  readily  appeased."  This  agrees  with  the  account 
given  in  Suetonius'  life,  where  we  are  told  that  the  Emperor  joked 
the  poet  on  his  short,  stout  figure.  In  Horace's  later  years  his 
health  was  poor.  While  fond  of  mixing  with  society,  he  had  a 
greater  love  for  quiet  country  life,  and  against  the  protests  of  Mae- 
cenas spent  much  time  on  his  Sabine  farm  or  at  his  beloved  Tibur. 
Praeneste,  Baiae,  and  Tarentum  were  also  favorite  places  of  resi- 
dence. He  remained  a  bachelor,  and  was  never  deeply  moved  by 
love.  Of  all  his  flames  named  in  his  verses,  only  Cinara  was  cer- 
tainly a  creature  of  flesh  and  blood.  The  rest  existed  in  his  fancy 
only,  or  were  borrowed  from  some  Greek. ^  While  he  can  sing  very 
prettily  of  love,  his  verses  have  none  of  Catullus'  fire ;  they  were 
for  Horace  pretty  works  of  art,  but  did  not  spring  from  his  own 
passion.  Likewise  when  he  calls  his  friends  to  a  carouse,  we  may 
be  sure  that  temperance,  not  license,  was  the  chief  feature  of 
his  comissatio. 

The  subjects  of  his  verse,  whether  lyric  or  pedestris,  as  he  calls 
his  muse  in  a  passage  in  his  Satires,  were  of  the  most  varied  sort ; 
hardly  a  feature  of  the  life  about  him  was  left  untouched,  and 
more  proverbial  sayings  bearing  on  the  ways  and  weaknesses  of 
men  have  been  drawn  from  Horace's  works  than  from  those  of  any 
other  Latin  writer.  Certain  aspects  of  nature  appealed  to  him ; 
and  in  a  number  of  odes  he  shows  the  deepest  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  state.  While  he  frequently  shows  a  jovial  spirit, 
yet  there  is,  especially  in  the  Odes,  a  melancholy  that  constantly 
reappears  and  overshadows  his  merrier  moods.  Many  of  his 
lyrics  deal  with  death  and  the  cheerless  grave  ;  and  his  philosophy 
of  enjoyment  and  moderation  has  more  in  it  of  resignation  than 
of  eager  anticipation.    Horace  does  not  show  that  pathetic  melan- 

^  See  Gildersleeve  in  Am.  Jour,  of  Phil.,  18,  121  f. 
23 


§§  13-14]  INTRODUCTION 

choly  which  characterizes  Vergil's  poetry  ;  his  melancholy  is  per- 
sonal, that  of  a  sensitive  individual,  who  has  learned  not  to  expect 
too  much  of  this  life,  and  has  no  hope  beyond.  Yet  Horace 
avoids  intruding  his  melancholy  on  his  audience,  as  he  shrinks 
from  preaching,  even  in  his  most  earnest  moods. 

The  highest  enthusiasms  and  deepest  feelings  were  not  given  to 
Horace  ;  but  this  very  fact  has  in  no  slight  degree  made  him  a  place 
in  the  affections  of  ordinary  men,  who  feel  that  he  is  one  of  them. 

14.  Fame.  —  While  Horace  never  gained  among  his  contempo- 
raries the  honor  enjoyed  by  Vergil,  whose  imperial  epic  appealed 
to  the  pride,  as  well  as  the  imagination,  of  the  Romans,  still  he 
lived  to  see  himself  pointed  out  by  the  passers  on  the  street  as 
the  lyric  poet  of  Rome,  a  fact  to  which  he  refers  in  C.  4,  3,  22  f., 
not  without  a  touch  of  pride.  Augustus'  requests  (cf.  §  9),  too, 
show  the  position  in  which  Horace  stood.  Many  lesser  poets 
honored  him  as  their  master  and  model,  but  their  verses  have  all 
disappeared ;  also  the  spurious  works  which  Suetonius  says  were 
circulated  under  his  name.  His  poems  were  early  used  in  schools, 
certainly  before  Quintilian's  day ;  in  Juvenal's  time,  busts  of 
Vergil  and  Horace  adorned  schoolrooms  ;  so  that  for  nearly  nine- 
teen centuries  the  works  of  Horace  have  formed  part  of  liberal 
education  in  western  Europe.  Learned  criticism  and  interpreta- 
tion by  grammarians  began  at  least  as  early  as  Nero's  reign.  But 
the  best  proof  of  Horace's  influence  in  antiquity  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  numerous  reminiscences,  conscious  and  unconscious,  of  his 
verses  that  are  found  in  almost  every  Roman  writer  after  him.  In 
the  commentary  of  this  book  only  a  few  such  reminiscences  are 
quoted,  but  enough  to  suggest  how  constantly  his  phrases  reappear 
in  later  writers.  In  fact  no  other  Roman  poet  but  Vergil  influ- 
enced posterity  to  any  like  degree.  Even  in  the  period  of  re- 
adjustment, which  we  call  the  Middle  Ages,  the  works  of  Horace 
were  still  read  in  schools,  especially  the  Satires  and  Epistles,  and 
verses  of  moral  import  were  learned  by  heart ;  the  Otfes  and 
Epodes  were  less  used,  and  the  Carmen  Saeculare  not  unnaturally 

24 


FAME,   MANUSCRIPTS,    ETC.  [§§  14-15 

was  almost  entirely  neglected.^  Yet  the  number  of  Mss.  earlier 
than  the  thirteenth  century  —  nearly  twenty  date  from  the  eighth, 
ninth,  and  tenth  —  attest  the  esteem  in  which  all  the  works  were 
held  in  mediaeval  cloisters. 

In  the  Renaissance  and  modern  times  Horace's  popularity  has 
been  great.  Over  seventy  editions,  partial  or  complete,  were 
printed  before  1500.  There  have  been  many  would-be  imitators 
of  Horace's  lyric  verse  in  the  last  four  centuries,  but  no  better 
proof  of  the  perfection  of  his  art  can  be  found  than  in  the  marked 
inferiority  of  all  attempts,  both  ancient  and  modern,  to  repeat  his 
measures.  It  is  not  exaggeration  to  say  that  no  one  since  Horace's 
day  has  written  Latin  Alcaics  or  Sapphics  that  deserve  to  be  com- 
pared with  their  models.  Naturally  Horace's  influence  on  modern 
writers  of  lyric  verse  has  been  marked.  To  illustrate  this  here  is  not 
possible,  but  there  is  hardly  a  lyricist  who  has  not  felt  his  spell. 
Among  contemporary  English  writers,  Austin  Dobson's  methods 
and  verses  remind  us  most  of  the  Roman  bard.  Yet  Horace's 
lasting  popularity  is  attested,  not  so  much  by  literature,  as  by  the 
regard  in  which  men  of  varied  pursuits  hold  him.  His  wisdom, 
his  moderation  and  good-humored  satire,  coined  into  perfect 
form,  have  won  him  an  unique  place  in  the  affections  of  mankind. 

15.  Manuscripts,  Scholia,  and  Editions,  (a)  Mss.  —  There 
are  more  good  manuscripts  of  Horace  preserved  than  of  any 
other  Latin  writer  except  Vergil ;  they  number  about  250,  dating 
from  the  eighth  (or  ninth)  to  the  fifteenth  century.  All  seem  to 
come  from  a  common  early  archetype,  but  the  cross  Hnes  of  tra- 
dition are  so  numerous  that  it  is  impossible  to  classify  them  satis- 
factorily.    The  most  important  are  :  — 

(i)  Codex  Blandinius  Veins tissimus.  This  manuscript  was 
formerly  in  the  Abbaye  de  St.  Pierre  on  Mt.  Blandin,  near  Ghent, 
but  was  burned  when  the  Abbey  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1566. 
It  was  one  of  the  four  manuscripts  borrowed  from  the  monastery 

1  On  Horace  in  the  Middle  Ages,  see  the  interesting  monograph  by  M. 
Manitius,  Analekten  ziir  Geschicht^  des  Horaz  iin  Mitielaltei-,(^b\.i\ngen,  1893. 

25 


§  15]  INTRODUCTION 

in  1565,  and  collated  for  his  edition  of  Horace  by  Cruquius 
(Jacques  de  Crusque),  professor  at  Bruges.  He  states  in  his 
edition  of  1578  that  this  manuscript  dated  from  the  seventh 
century,  and  the  readings  which  he  gives  from  it  show  that,  what- 
ever its  age,  it  was  of  prime  importance  for  the  text.  Keller  and 
Holder  deny  its  very  existence,  and  charge  Cruquius  with  false- 
hood, but  the  evidence  against  them  is  such  that  we  cannot  doubt 
the  existence  and  value  of  the  codex.  Cruquius  was  at  tinn 
careless,  but  his  account  can  in  the  main  be  accepted. 

(2)  Codex  Be7-ne7isis  363,  in  the  city  library  at  Bern,  Switzer- 
land ;  written  by  an  Irish  scribe  in  the  ninth  century.  The  best 
single  extant  manuscript  of  Horace.  Reproduced  in  photographic 
facsimile  under  the  direction  of  De  Vries,  1897. 

(3)  Codex  Sueco-Vaticaniis  1703,  in  the  Vatican  Library,  writ- 
ten in  the  eighth  century. 

These  two  manuscripts  are  considered  by  Keller  to  be  the  most 
important ;  some  claim  high  rank  for  others,  especially  Parisinus 
7900  A,  J.  IX/X  ;  Parisini  ']()lit  and  7971,  i-.  X;  Parisinus  7972, 
s.  IX/X,  and  Leidensis  28,  j'.  X  ;  but  in  establishing  the  text  the  read- 
ings of  Cruquius' '  Vetustissimus '  are  ordinarily  of  first  importance. 

For  a  description  of  the  other  manuscripts,  reference  may  be 
made  to  the  critical  edition  by  Keller  and  Holder,  2  vols.,  Leip- 
sic,  1864-1870;  vol.  I  in  2d  ed.,  1899. 

{b)  Scholia.  —  Comment  on  the  works  of  Horace  began  in 
the  first  century  of  our  era,  with  brief  introductory  notes,  giving 
in  each  case  the  name  of  the  person  addressed,  the  metre,  and  a 
brief  notice  of  the  contents  and  character  of  the  poem.  Under 
Nero,  M.  Valerius  Probus  prepared  a  critical  edition  of  Horace's 
works.  Among  early  commentators  were  also  Modestus  and 
Claranus,  who  flourished  apparently  in  Domitian's  reign ;  to  the 
time  of  Hadrian  belong  the  Life,  by  Suetonius,  which  is  preserved 
in  a  fragmentary  condition,  and  the  edition  in  ten  books  (cf. 
p.  22),  by  Q.  Terentius  Scaurus.  Under  the  Antonines,  Helenius 
Aero  wrote  an  explanatory  commentary. 

26 


SCHOLIA   AND    EDITIONS  [§  15 

The  work  of  all  these  commentators  has  been  lost,  save  in  so 
far  as  it  is  incorporated  in  the  following  scholia  :  — 

( 1 )  The  scholia  of  Pomponius  Porphyria,  a  grammarian  of  the 
third  century  apparently,  who  devoted  himself  chiefly  to  gram- 
matical and  rhetorical  interpretation. 

(2)  The  schoHa  which  bear  the  name  of  Aero.  This  collection 
was  drawn  from  many  sources,  one  of  which  was  Porphyrio,  from 
whom  much  was  taken.  Acro's  name  was  not  attached  to  these 
scholia  until  the  fifteenth  century. 

(3)  The  scholia  of  the  Cotntnentator  Cruquia7ius.  These  are 
the  comments  gathered  together  by  Cruquius  from  many  sources, 
and  are  of  slight  value. 

(r)  Editions.  —  The  place  and  date  of  the  editio  princeps  is 
unknown,  but  it  was  published  in  Italy  before  147 1.  Bentley's  edi- 
tion in  1 71 1  made  a  new  era  in  Horatian  criticism.  Of  the  modern 
critical  and  explanatory  editions,  the  following  are  important :  — 

Keller  and  Holder,  editio  maior,  2  vols.  Leipsic,  1864- 18  70; 
vol.  I  {Odes,  Epodes,  and  C.  S.)  in  2d  ed.  by  Keller,  Leipsic, 
1899;  edilio  minor,  1878.  Keller,  Epilegomena  zu  Horaz,  Leip- 
sic, 1879-1880,  is  also  important  for  its  collection  of  variant 
readings  and  discussion  of  them. 

Orelli,  4th  ed.  by  Hirschfelder  and  Mewes,  2  vols.,  with  Latin 
commentary  and  complete  word  index,  Berlin,  1886,  1892. 

Kiessling,  2d  ed.,  3  vols.  Berhn,  1890-189 7  ;  vol.  i  in  3d  ed., 
1898. 

Wiekham,  Odes  and  Epodes,  3d  ed.  Oxford,  1896;  Satires 
and  Epistles,  1 89 1 . 

Z.  Mailer,  Satires  and  Epistles,  Leipsic,  1891-1893.  Odes 
and  Epodes,  1900. 

The  schoha  are  not  yet  fully  available  in  good  editions.  A  be- 
ginning has  been  made  by  Keller  and  Holder,  Porfyriofiis 
cotnmentum  rec.  A.  Holder.  Innsbruck,  1894.  The  scholia  of 
the  Commentator  Cruquianus  are  now  best  printed  in  Keller  and 
Holder's  large  edition,  vol.  i,  2d  ed.,  pp.  343-370. 

27 


§§  16-17]  INTRODUCnON 

i6.  Translations  and  Important  Books.  —  No  classical  author 
has  been  translated  more  often  than  Horace.  Among  the  better 
complete  translations  of  the  Odes  and  Epodes  into  English  are  the 
following  :  — 

Sir  Theodore  Martin,  The  Odes  of  Horace  translated  into 
Eng/ish  verse,  2d  ed.,  London,  1861. 

John  Conington,  The  Odes  and  Carmen  Saeculare  of  Horace, 
3d  ed.,  London,  1865. 

Lord  Lyiton,  The  Odes  and  Epodes  of  Horace,  London,  1869. 

W.  E.  Gladstone,  The  Odes  of  Horace  translated  into  English, 
New  York,  1894. 

C.  W.  Cooper,  Horace'' s  Odes  Englished  and  Imitated  by  Vari- 
ous Hands,  London,  1880. 

Among  books  useful  for  criticism,  interpretation,  and  illustra- 
tion, the  following  may  be  named  :  — 

W.  Y.  Sellar,  Horace  and  the  Elegiac  Poets,  Oxford,  1892, 

This  is  the  most  important  single  book  in  EngUsh  on  Horace. 

J.  W.  Mackail,  Latin  Literature,  pp.  1 06-1 19,  New  York, 
1900. 

This  is  a  work  of  real  genius,  the  best  short  history  of  Latin 
literature. 

Andrew  Lang,  Letters  to  Dead  Authors,  pp.  223-234,  London, 
1886. 

Gaston  Boissier,  The  Country  of  Horace  and  Vergil;  trans- 
lated by  D.  H.  Fisher,  I^ondon,  1896. 

Schreiber-Anderson,  Atlas  of  Classical  Antiquities,  London, 
1895. 

Baumeister,  Denkmaler  des  klassischen  Altertums,  3  vols.,  Mu- 
nich, 1889. 

17.  Language  and  Style.  —  Horace  was  well  aware  that  his 
poetic  genius  was  not  great ;  but  he  possessed  a  highly  cultivated 
sense  for  poetic  form  and  fitting  expression,  and  a  fondness  for 
his  art,  which  led  him  to  take  infinite  pains  in  the  elaboration  of 
his  verses.     With  wise  judgment  he  therefore  chose  commonplace 

28 


LANGUAGE   AND    STYLE  [§§  17-18 

themes  and  treated  them  with  all  the  grace  his  taste  and  skill 
could  give.  He  shows  little  deep  thought  ^^^  ini-pngp  fp/^ling  •  hie 
verses  are  either  exercises  suggestti'd  hy  ryrepk  lyrjcsj  common- 
glaces  of  philosophy,  Stoic  or  Epicurean,  pretty  but  passionless  1 
treatment  of  themes  nf  Inve^  and  society  verse.  Some  tributes  to. 
friends  show  greater  feeling,  as  do  certain  odes  dealing  with  inter- 
ests of  state  ;  ve^in  this  latter  class  some  seem  like  perfunctory 
verses  written  to^^pleasg^  In  his  later  odes,  in  which  he  celebrates 
Augustus  as  the  restorer  of  peace  g.nd  prosperity^  he  exhil:)its  a 
warmth  of  sentiment  that  he  dQes.JiaL-sJiQW-.elsewher£.jiLthej?oems 
which  concern  the  imperial  house.  Yet  if  his  themes  are  com- 
monplace, his  treatment  of  them  is  so  unapproachably  felicitous 
that  his  phrases  have  become  part  of  the  world's  vocabulary. 
Horace,  therefore,  deserves  the  high  place  he  occupies  in  men's 
regard,  not  for  his  poetic  inspiration,  but  because  he  has  given 
I  beautiful  and  permanent  expression  to  ordinary  truths,  which  are 
of  universal  concern. 

His  vocabulary  is  not  large,  partly  because  the  Latin  language 
in  comparison  with  the  Greek  is  poor  in  words,  partly  because  he 
chose  to  be  restrained  and  moderate  in  statement ;  aQd_thediffi- 
cultyjiLu.singjh£_Alcaicjmd^  Latin  doubtless 

restricted  the  jgp^g^  of  expression.  He  occasionally  repeats  a 
happy  phrase.  either_£j^.actly  or  with  slight  variation.  His  admira- 
tion for  the  Greeks  never  led  him  to  violate  the  genius  of  his  own 
language ;  he  did  not  attempt  long  compounds,  avoided  Greek 
words  for  the  most  part,  and  seldom  used  a  construction  that  was 
foreign  to  the  Latin  idiom. 

The  study  of  Horace's  style,  therefore,  is  chiefly  concerned 
with  the  art  with  which  he  formed  his  phrases  and  fitted  them  to 
his  measures.  The  following  paragraphs  deal  briefly  with  the 
Order  of  IVords,  Prosody,  Metres,  and  Syntax. 

18.  Order  of  "Words. — An  inflected  language  admits  greater 
freedom  in  the  arrangement  of  words  than  is  possible  in  one  which 
is  uninflected,  so  that  an  idea  is  often  held  in  suspense  until  it  has 

29 


§§  I8-20]  INTRODUCTION 

been  brought  into  relation  with  associated  ideas.  It  is  therefore 
necessary  for  the  student  to  learn  to  carry  in  his  mind  incomplete 
ideas  through  groups  of  words  of  varying  length.  Such  groups  are 
common  to  both  prose  and  poetry ;  but  in  prose  they  are  usually 
brief,  combinations  of  three  words  being  most  frequent,  e.g.  ab 
exiguis  profecta  initiis,  although  larger  groups  are  not  unknown. 
But  in  poetry  the  arrangement  and  grouping  of  words  is  much 
more  highly  developed.  The  following  examples  illustrate  the 
more  common  arrangements  in  Horace's  lyrics,  which  the  student 
must  train  himself  to  grasp  as  units. 

19.  Groups  of  three  words  :  — 

I,  I,  I  atavis  edite  regibtis 
I,  15,  8  regnum  Priami  vetus 

1,  22,  22  terra  domibus  negata 

2,  5,  12  purpurea  varius  colore 
2,  7,  2  Bruto  militiae  duce 

It  should  be  noticed  that  in  these  groups  the  first  and  third 
words  agree  grammatically  and  inclose  the  word  they  modify ; 
and  that  the  places  of  adjective  and  noun  are  varied  at  pleasure.  In 
the  following  larger  groups  the  relation  of  the  words  is  shown  by 
varying  type  so  far  as  possible. 

20.  Groups  of  four  words  may  have  the  following  great  variety 
of  arrangement :  — 

2.  3,  9  pinus  ingens  albaque  populus 
2,  6,  5    Tibur  Argeo  positum  colono 
I,  24,  9   multis  ilk  honis  Jlebilis 

1,  19,  II  f.   versis  animosum  equis  I  Parthum 

2,  8,  1 1  f.   gelidaque  divos  \  morte  carentis 
I,  I,  22  ad  aquae  lene  caput  sacrae 

I,  12,  22  f.   saevis  inimica  virgo  |  beluis  "■ 

3,  8,  13  f.  cyathos  amici  \  sospitis  centum 

4,  1 ,  4  f.   dulcium  I  mater  saeva  Cupidinum 

(a)  Often  a  verb  or  verbs  form  part  of  the  group,  e.g. :  — 
I,  I,  34   Lesboum  refugit  tender e  barbiton 
l>  5»  9  tei  fruitur  credulus  aMxedi 
30 


ORDER   OF   WORDS  [§§  21-24 

31.   Larger  groups  show  more  complicated  structure  :  — 

1,  14,  14  f.    nil  pictis  tiinidus  navita  puppibus  |  fidit 

I,  14,  19  f.    interfusa  nitentis  |  vites  aeqiiora  Cycladas 

I,  22,  i7f.   pigris  ubi  nulla  campis  |  arbor  aestiva  recreatur  aura 

1,  28,  19  f.    nullum  I  saeva  caput  Proserpina  fugit 

2,  3,  ii  f.    quid  obliquo  laborat  |  lyrnpha  fugax  trepidare  rivo  ? 
2,  4,  II  f.   tradidit  fessis  leviora  tolli  |  Pergama  Grais. 

2,  II,  II  f.   quid  aeternis  minorem  \  consiliis  animum  fatigas  ? 

2,  12,  2f.   nee  Siculum  mare  \  "Poeno  purpttreuin  sanguine 

3,  I,  5  f.   reguin  timendorum  in  proprios  greges  |  reges  in  ipsos  im- 

periuin  est  lovis 
3,  I,  16   omne  capax  movet  urna  nomen 

3,  5,  21  f.   vidi  ego  civium  \  retorta  tergo  bracchia  libero 

I,  9,  21  is  an  unusually  complex  group  :  — 

latentis  proditor  intimo  |  gratus  puellae  risus  ab  angulo. 

Horace  frequently  employs  position  and  arrangement  to  secure 
emphasis  or  other  rhetorical  effect. 

22.  Emphasis  is  obtained  by  placing  the  word  to  be  emphasized 
at  the  beginning  of  a  strophe  or  a  verse,  or  before  a  caesura  :  — 

I,  18,  3    siccis  omnia  nam  dura  deus  proposuit 

1,  34,  I   parens  deorum  cultor  et  infrequens 

2,  9,  9  f.   tu  semper  urges  flebilibus  modis  |  Mysten  ademptum 

23.  Often  the  word  in  this  position  comes  at  or  near  the  end  of 
its  sentence  :  — 

1,  28,  5  f.    animoque  rotundum  |  percurisse  polum  morituro 

2,  9,  15  ff.    nee   impubem  parentes  |  Troilon  aut   Phrygiae  sorores  | 

flevere  semper 

4,  9,  25  f.   vixere  fortes  ante  Aganiemnona  |  mulli 

24.  Often  the  words  which  agree  grammatically  are  widely 
separated,  gaining  emphasis  from  their  positions,  and  at  the  same 
time  binding  the  sentence  to  which  they  belong  into  a  single  word 
group  :  — 

I,  I,  14   Myrtoum  pavidus  nauta  secet  mare 
I,  2,  39  f.    acer  et  Marsi  peditis  cruentum  \  voltus  in  hostem 
31 


§§  24-28]  INTRODUCTION 

Also  3,  4,  9-12. 

me  fabulosae  Volture  in  Apulo 
nutricis  extra  limina  Pulliae 
ludo  fatigatumque  somno 

fronde  nova  puermn  palitmhes 

Observe  that  the  entire  strophe  is  bound  into  a  single  group  by 
the  two  initial  and  final  words. 

25.  Occasionally  a  number  of  emphatic  positions  are  employed 
in  a  single  strophe  or  other  closely  connected  group  :  — 

2,  10,  9  ff.    saepius  ventis  agitatur  ingens 
pinus  et  celsae  \graviore  casu 
decidunt  turres  feriuntque  summos 
fulgura  montis 

26.  Emphasis  is  also  secured  by  placing  contrasted  words  in 

juxtaposition  :  — 

I,   6,  9        tenues grandia 

I,  3,  lo        qui  fragilevi  truci  coviwmiSX.  pelago  ratem 

27.  Also  by  placing  words  in  similar  or  opposite  positions  in 
the  verse  or  strophe  :  — 

I,    I,  9  f.    ilium  si  propria  ||  condidit  horreo  \  quicquid  de  Libycis  ||  ver- 
ritur  areis 

1,  26,  2  f .    tradam  proUrvis  \\  in  mare  Creticum  |  portare  ventis  \\ 

2,  2,  23       quisquis  ingeniis  \\  oculo  inretorto  |  spectat  acervos. 

2,   3,    I  f.    aequam    memento   rebus  in  arduis  \  servare    mentem,  non 

secus  in  bonis 
2,  10,  13   sperat  infestis  \\  metuit  secundis 

Also  in  I,  10,  where  the  initial  te,  te,  tu  of  the  second,  third,  and 
fifth  strophe  emphatically  repeat  the  Mercuri  of  the  first  strophe. 
Cf.  likewise  2,  9,  1.9. 13. 17  non  semper,  tu  semper,  at  non,  fle^iere 
semper. 

28.  Emphasis  is  further  secured  :  — 

{a)  By  immediate  repetition  in  the  same  clause :  — 

2,  17,  10    ibirnus  ibintus,  utcumque  praecedes. 
Epod.  4,  20   hoc  hoc  tribune  militum. 
32 


POSITION   OF   PRONOUNS,   PREPOSITIONS,    ETC.     [§§  28-31 

(l>)  By  immediate  repetition  at  the  beginning  of  a  new  clause 
{anadiplosis)  :  — 

3,  16,  15  ff.  subruit  aemulos 

reges  muneribus ;  ||  niunera  navium 
saevos  inlaqueant  duces. 

(<:)  By  repetition  at  the  beginning  of  successive  clauses  {an- 
aphora), often  with  the  added  emphasis  of  position :  — 

1,  2,  4ff.        terruit  \\t\iQVA, 

terrtiit  gentis,  grave  ne  rediret 
saeculum  Pyrrhae 

2,  4,  3  ff.   serva  Briseis  niveo  colore 

movit  Achillem; 
niovit  Aiacem  Telamone  natum 

3,  3,  65  ff.    ter  si  resurgat  murus  aeneus 

auctore  Phoebo,  ter  pereat  meis 
excisus  Argivis,  ter  uxor 

capta  virum  puerosque  ploret 

Cf.  also  I,  10,  1.5.9.17;  I,  12,  53.57-59;  I,  35.  5-6-9-I7-2I  ; 
2,  9,  1.9. 13. 17. 

29.  Often  the  anaphora  serves  as  a  connective  :  — 

I»  5>  9f'    l^i  nunc  te  fruitur  credulus  aurea, 
qui  semper  vacuam 

POSITION  OF   PRONOUNS,   PREPOSITIONS,   ETC. 

30.  Horace  often  makes  his  point  by  a  reference  to  himself  or 
his  own  experience,  and  introduces  his  concrete  examples  by  me, 
etc.,  in  an  emphatic  position  :  — 

I,  I,  29  f.    vie  doctarum  hederae  praemia  fontium 
dis  miscent  superis,  tne  gelidum  nemus 
I,  5,  13  f.    /«1?  tabula  sacer  |  votiva  paries  indicat 
I,  22,  9      namque  me  silva  lupus  in  Sabina 

31.  An  important  word  or  words  may  displace  a  relative  or 
interrogative  pronoun  or  a  particle  at  the  beginning  of  a  clause  :  — 

HOR.  CAR.  —  3  33 


§§  3I-37J  INTRODUCTION 

I,  2,  7  omne  cum  Proteus  pecus  egit 

I,  2,  i8  f.  vagus  et  sinistra  |  labitur  ripa 

I,  7,  15  albus  lit .  .  .  deterget  nubila  .  .  .  Notus 

I,  22,  17  pigris  ubi  nulla  campis  |  arbor  aestiva  recreatur  aura 

1,  18,  3  siccis  omnia  nam  dura  deus 

2,  6,  6  sit  meae  sedes  utinam  senectae 

3,  I,  17  f.  destrictus  ensis  cui  super  impia  |  cervice  pendet 

Likewise  -que  may  be  forced  from  its  natural  position  by  the 
requirements  of  the  metre  :  — 

2,  19,  32     ore  pedes  tetigit^«^  crura 

32.  A  dissyllabic  preposition  sometimes  follows  its  noun  :  — 

T),  2,,  II       quos  inter  Augustus  recumbens 

33.  Sometimes  the  preposition  is  placed  next  the  verb  :  — 

2,  16,  33     te  greges  centum  Siculaeque  circuin  \  niugiunt  vaccae 

3,  27,  51  f.  utinam  inter  errem  |  nuda  leones 

PROSODY 

The  following  points  in  the  prosody  of  Horace's. lyrics  should  be 
noted  :  — 

34.  The  prosody  of  certain  proper  names  varies  :  Etrusco  1,  2, 
14;  3,  29,  35,  Etrusca  Epod.  16,  4  and  40;  Dianam  i,  21,  i, 
Diana  3,  4,  71  ;  Proserpina  i,  28,  20,  Proserpina  2,  13,  21  ;  Ori- 
onis  I,  28,  21,  Orion  Epod.  15,  7  ;  Italos  3,  30,  13,  Italo  2,  7,  4  ; 
Apuliae  Epod.  3,  16,  ApUli  2,  42  and  usually. 

35.  The  final  syllable  of  the  present  and  perfect  indicative  act- 
ive in  the  thesis  occasionally  retains  its  archaic  long  quantity  in 
Books  1-3:  perrtipit  i,  3,  36;  7nanet  i,  13,  6;  ridet  2,  6,  14; 
titmt  2,  13,  16  ;  arat  3,  16,  26;  figit  3,  24,  5.  It  is  once  long 
in  the  arsis  before  the  caesura  3,5,17  periret  \\  immiserabilis. 

36.  In  Epod.  9,  1 7  verterunt  occurs,  but  elsewhere  in  the  lyrics 
the  third  person  plural  of  the  perfect  indicative  always  ends  in 
-'eru7it. 

37.  A  final  syllable  ending  in  a  short  vowel  is  not  made  long  by 
two  consonants  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  word. 

34 


PROSODY   AND   METRES  [§§  38-44 

38.  Synizesis  occurs  in  anteit  i,  35,  17;  antehac  i,  37,  5; 
Pompei  2,  7,  5  ;  vietis  Epod.  12,  7;  dehinc  Epod.  16,  65  ;  prob- 
ably also  mpueris  2,  18,  34  (cf,  §  56) ;  laqtieb  Epod.  2,-35  (cf-  §  58)  ; 
inferius  z^,  79;  tnulierculum  11,  23  (cf.  §  58). 

39.  Hardening  of  vocalic  i  to  a  consonant  is  found  in  consilium 
3,  4,  41  and  principium  3,  6,  6.  In  both  these  cases  the  final  syl- 
lable is  elided. 

40.  Syncope  occurs  frequently  in  the  perfect  indicative  forms. 
Also  in  puertiae  \,  36,  8  ;  lamnae  2,  2,  2  ;  periclo  3,  20,  i  ;  siir- 
puerat  4,  13,  20;  repostum  Epod.  9,  i  ;  vincla  9,  9  and  17,  72. 
Possibly  \n  pav{i)dum  Epod.  2,  35  and  pos{i)tos  2,  65  (cf.  §  58). 

41.  Dialysis  occurs  only  in  siluae  i,  23,  4  and  Epod.  13,  2. 

42.  Elision  is  confined  chiefly  to  short  syllables;  in  his  earliest 
lyrics  Horace  apparently  tried  to  avoid  it  altogether,  but  later  he 
was  less  careful.  There  is  no  elision  in  the  Second  Archilochian 
Strophe  oi  Epod.  13  or  in  the  hexameters  oi  Epod.  16.  With  the 
exception  of  me,  te,  and  a  single  case  of  iam,  Epod.  17,  i,  mono- 
syllables are  never  elided. 

43.  Hiatus  is  found  after  the  monosyllabic  interjections  o  and  a, 
which  naturally  cannot  be  elided.  Also  in  capiti  inhumato  i,  28, 
24,  Esquilinae  alites  Epod.  5,  100,  Threicio  Aqidilone  13,  3;  and 
between  the  cola  of  Dactylo-Trochaic  verses  (cf.  §  64  ff.).  Also  in 
male  ominatis  3,  14,  11,  if  the  reading  be  correct. 

METRES 

44.  Logaoedic  Verses.  —  The  greater  number  of  the  Odes  are 
in  logaoedic  rhythms,  consisting  of  trochees  (—  ^),  irrational 
spondees  (— >),  and  cyclic  dactyls  (^  w  or  —  ^^).^     The  mu- 

1  Elementary  Latin  prosody  and  the  lyric  metres  of  Horace  are  satisfacto- 
rily treated  in  the  school  grammars  commonly  used.  A  brief  account  is  given 
here  solely  for  convenience,  and  no  attempt  is  made  to  provide  the  elemen- 
tary knowledge  which  must  be  gained  from  the  grammars.  One  point,  how- 
ever, may  be  noted.  The  common  method  of  marking  an  irrational  spondee 
( —  >)  leads  pupils  to  think  that  it  is  not  to  be  distinguished  from  a  trochee, 

35 


§§  44-48]  INTRODUCTION 

sical  time  is  |.  While  Horace  adopted  his  measures  from  the 
Greeks,  he  is  more  strict  than  his  models  in  certain  points.  He 
always  uses  an  irrational  spondee  in  place  of  a  trochee  before  the 
first  cyclic  dactyl  (—  >  |  -^  ^,  and  not  —  w  [  — ^  ^)  ;  and  if  an 
apparent  choriambus  — ^  w  |i_  Ms  followed  by  a  second  apparent 
choriambus  in  the  same  verse,  the  caesura  regularly  separates  the 
two. 
The  following  logaoedic  verses  are  used  by  Horace  : 

45.  The  Adonic : 

/■         <   / 

— v^   \J    \   —    \J 

terruit  1  urbem 

(This  may  also  be  read  A.^  ,^  |  Li.  |  ^  ^) 

46.  The  Aristophanic : 

Lydia  \  die  per  \  otnnes 

(This  may  also  be  read  -Aj  ^\— \^\^\—  /\) 


47.  The  Pherecratic  (read  as  a  syncopated  tetrapody  catalectic)  : 

48.  The  Glyconic : 


grato  I  Pyrrha  sub  \  an\tro 


sic  ie  I  diva  po' tens  Cy\pri 

i.e.  that  both  equal  J  ^ ;  whereas  the  irrational  spondee  must  be  represented 

in   musical   notation  by   c.'»#*-     Furthermore  the  musical  equivalent  of  the 

/   fl  /1 
cyclic  dactyl,    as    commonly  expressed, —v^  w  =  ^.  J  ^,  is   hardly  correct; 

/1   fl  fl 
it  should  rather  be  0»g'^'-     In  the  schemes  as  here  given  the  form  ~w  v^ 

is  used  when  the  caesura  does  not  fall  within  the  foot  or  falls  between  the  two 
short  syllables,  — ^  ||  w ;  when  the  caesura  occurs  after  the  long  syllable  the 
foot  is  written  —  ||  ^y^. 

1  This  combination  was  regarded  by  the  later  Roman  writers  as  a  choriam- 
bus, —  ^^  — ,  and  many  still  give  the  name  '  choriambic  '  to  metres  in  which 
this  succession  of  syllables  occurs. 

36 


METRES  [§§  49-53 

49.  The  Lesser  (decasyllabic)  Alcaic  : 

fiumina  \  constite\rint  a\cuto 

50.  The  Greater  (hendecasyllabic)  Alcaic : 

di-w  l->  II  A>^  I-  ^\Ck 

per\initte  \  divis  ||  cetera  \  qui  si\mul 

In  Books  1-3  the  anacrusis  is  usually  long  ;  in  Book  4  always  so. 
In  I,  37, 14  ;  4,  14,  17  diaeresis  is  neglected ;  caesura  occurs  after 
a  prefix  in  i,  16,  21  ex\\erciltis ;  i,  37,  5  de\ promere ;  2,  17,  21 
in\\credibili. 

51 .  The  Lesser  Sapphic  : 

^  w|-  >!-  II  WW  1-  w  I  -> 

/aw  ^rt|//5  ter\ris  ||  «z'w'i'  |  atque  |  dirae 

In  Books  1-3  the  masculine  caesura  is  regularly  used  ;  in  the 
Carmen  Saeculare  and  Book  4  the  feminine  caesura  is  more  fre- 
quently allowed,  e.g.  : 

^   w   |-^>i     ^      II  wl-     wl-> 
Phoebe  \  silvar unique  \\  poJens  Di  anae 

52.  The  Greater  Sapphic : 

-  wi->i-|l^l^    II    -      v^|-vy|-> 
(e  deos    oro  Syba\rin  |1  cur  propeWes  a  mando. 

Or  we  may  write  the  second  half  of  the  verse  as  a  syncopated 
tetrapody  catalectic  : 

II  A.  V.   I  -^  w   I   '^  I  ^  A 

It  should  be  observed  that  this  corresponds  with  the  Aristo- 
phanic  verse  (cf.  46). 

53.  The  Lesser  Asclepiadic  : 

Maece\nas  atdyis  ||  edite  \   regi\bus 

In  4,  8,  I  7,  caesura  is  disregarded,  but  the  text  is  in  doubt ;  in 
2,  12,  25  caesura  occurs  after  the  prefix  in  de\torquet. 


§§  54-56]  INTRODUCTION 

54.  The  Greater  Asclepiadic : 

^  >  \  Aj  v^i^  11^  w||-I1-^w|-^w|6a 
Nullum  I  Vare  sa\cra  |{  vite  pri\us  ||  sever  is  |  arbo\rem. 

C.  I,  II,  18;  4,  10. 

It  should  be  observed  that  this  differs  from  the  preceding  rhythm 
(53)  in  having  a  syncopated  dipody  1|  A^  w  M—  |  inserted  between 
the  two  tripodies.     In  i,  18,  16,  caesura  occurs  after  the  prefix  in 

per^lucidior. 

Iambic  and  Trochaic  Verses.  —  The  following  iambic  and  trochaic 
verses  are  used  by  Horace  : 

55.  The  Iambic  Dimeter: 

>  —     \y     —      \    >     —     \y     — 

>  W   V^    W    v^    V^    j 

Or  in  anacrustic  form  :  ^ 

>   •  —  v^  —  >   I  —  Kj  —  A 

The  irrational  spondee  may  be  substituted  in  the  first  and  third 
feet.  Resolution  of  the  thesis  is  found  in  four  verses  {^Epod.  2,  62  ; 
3,  8 ;  5,  48;  15,  24),  and  then  is  Umited  to  the  first  foot  for  the 
apparent  dactyl,  >  ^^  ^  ;  while  tribrachs  may  be  used  in  the  first 
two  feet,  e.g.  : 

Ohlivio  I  nem  sensibus  EpoJ.  14,  2. 

videre  prope\rantis  domum  Epod.  2,  62. 

>wv^>^ — 1>  II— w— 

ast  ego  vicis\stm    risero  Epod.  15,  24. 

56.  The  Iambic  Trimeter  Catalectic  : 

>     —    w    — I  >    II  —   ^   —  I  w A 

trahuntque  sic  cas  ||  machinae  \  carinas. 

Or  with  anacrusis  : 

>  :  —  w—  >||  —  >^  —  w|   ' A 

1  Whenever  iambic  verses  occur  in  logaoedic  or  composite  rhythms,  they 
are  to  be  written  with  anacrusis. 

38 


I 


METRES  [§§  56-58 

In  C.  2,  18,  34  possibly  resolution  occurs  in  the  second  foot 
regiimque  pueris,  >  \  —  k^  6  ^—,  unless,  as  is  probable,  we 
should  read  by  synizesis, /?^m  (cf.  38). 

57.  'Y\vt  Pure  Iambic  Trimeter :  — 

suis  et  ipsa\Roma  vi  ribus  ruit 

58.  The  Iambic  Trimeter  (with  substitutions  and  resolutions)  :  — 

v//  /  |W||/  ''  \      \^      ^  ,     ^ 

>6  ^  >  II  w  w 

w  v^ —  ^  "^ — 

£j>o{l  17.  The  caesura  occurs  after  the  prefix  in  im\plumibus, 
Epod.  1,19;  and  in  \  aestuet,  Epod.  11,15.  The  irrational  spondee 
is  not  infrequently  substituted  in  the  first,  third,  and  fifth  feet ; 
the  tribrach  is  used  chiefly  in  the  second  and  third  feet,  rarely  in 
the  first  and  fourth ;  the  dactyl  is  found  in  the  first  foot,  rarely  in 
the  third  ;  and  the  anapaest  is  possibly  to  be  read  in  the  first  foot 
twice  {Epod.  2,  35  pavidum,  65  positos)  and  three  times  in  the 
fifth  {Epod.  2,  35  laqueo,  5,  79  inferius,  11,  23  mulierculum)  ; 
yet  some  of  these  cases  may  be  read  by  synizesis  as  iambs  (cf.  38). 
Examples  of  trimeters  with  various  substitutions  :  — 

\j    —  w  —  !^ll  —     '^  —    w    —  v^w 
per  et  Did nae  |{  non  moven\da  numina 

!>  —  v_/    wvy^ll  —      \j  \j  Kj  ^  —  \j  O 
vectabor  hume  ris  ||  tunc  ego  ini\micis  eques. 

'^\j\y\j   — -iwll — \j —  I    >    —    w  — 
Canidia  par  re  ||  vocibuf  \  tandem  sacris 

> —  \j — I  >  II  www    —  > —  w  w 
optat  qui e  tern  ||  Pelopis  in\fidi  pater. 

w    w —    wwwi  w||  —  w  —    |w  w^    w   w 

pavidumque  lepo\rem  et  ||  advetiam  \  laqueo  gi-nem, 

w        —  w   — 

ox  pav{{)du>nque,  laqueo  (cf.  38,  40). 

39 


§§  59-65]  INTRODUCTION 

59.  The  Euripidean  :  — 

—   \j  —  \j  \      —  ^  \j  i\ 
non  ehur  ne\que  aureum 

60.  The  Nine-syllable  Alcaic  :  — 

>:  —   \y\ —  P*| —  v^l  —  \j 
sil'-.vae  la\boran\tes  geluque 

This  consists  of  two  trochaic  dipodies  with  anacrusis.  The  second 
foot  is  always  irrational. 

Dactylic  Verses. 

61 .  The  Lesser  Archilochian  :  — 

— v^v^l  —  \J  \J\  —  A 
arbor i\busque  co\mae 

62.  ^\\&  Dactylic  Tetrameter  catalectic :  — 

saeva  ca\put  Pro\serpina  \  Jugit 

In  C  I,  28,  2    a  spondee  is  found  in  the  third  foot. 

63.  The  Dactylic  Hexameter :  — 

WW    I   —  WW    I  —  ll>»'W    I  —  WW    I  —  WW    I 

The  feminine  caesura  in  the  third  foot  is  occasionally  found,  and 
the  masculine  caesura  sometimes  falls  in  the  fourth  or  second  foot, 
rhe  four  cases  of  spondees  in  the  fifth  foot  are  due  to  proper 
names  {C.  i,  28,  21  ;  Epod.  13,  9  ;   16,  17  and  29). 

Dactylo-trochaic  Verses. 

64.  In  these  the  cola,  rhythmical  sentences,  are  separate ;  so 
that  the  verses  are  compound,  having  a  change  of  time  (|  to  f ,  or 
vice  versa)  within  them.  Syllaba  anceps  is  allowed  at  the  end  of 
the  first  colon  in  the  lambelegus  and  Elegiambus. 

65.  The  Greater  Archilochian  (a  dactylic  tetrameter  acatalec- 
tic  +  a  trochaic  tripody)  :  — 

WW    I  V^w!  11    WW  I —  WW  II   —  w    I  —    wl  — ~> 

solvitur  I  acris  hi\enis\gra    \la  vice  ||  veris  \  et  Favoni. 
40 


METRES  [§§  66-68 

The  caesura  is  found  regularly  after  the  third  thesis,  and  a  diaere- 
sis after  the  dactylic  colon.     The  fourth  foot  is  always  a  dactyl. 

66.  The  lambelegus  (a  trochaic  dimeter  catalectic  with  anacru- 
sis -f-  a  lesser  archilochian)  :  — 

>:  —  \y  I    —      >| —   w|w||  — \y\y   \  —    v^    ^| — A 
tu\vina  \   Torqua\to  mo\ve  ||  consule  \  pressa  tne\o. 

No  substitutions  but  those  indicated  are  allowed  in  the  first  colon  ; 
and  spondees  are  not  allowed  in  the  second. 

67.  The  Elegiambus  (the  cola  of  the  lambelegus  reversed)  :  — 

scribere  \  versicujos     II  a\more  \  perctis\sum  gra\vi. 


STROPHES 

Most  of  the  Odes  are  arranged  in  stanzas  or  strophes  of  four  verses 
each ;  in  a  few  the  distich  or  the  single  verse  is  the  metrical  unit. 
In  the  Epodes,  with  the  exception  of  the  seventeenth,  which  is 
written  in  iambic  trimeters,  the  epodic  distich  (cf.  .4)  is  the  unit. 

The  lyric  strophes  used  by  Horace  are  these  :  — 

68.  The  Alcaic  Strophe  —  two  Greater  Alcaics  (50),  one  Nine- 
syllable  Alcaic  (60),  and  a  Lesser  Alcaic  (49)  :  — 

— w  \J    I — l-IV^    I     —     v^    I   —   >  4 

This  strophe  is  the  most  frequent;  found  in  C.  \,  9.  16.  17.  26. 
27.  29.  31.  34.  35.  37;  2,  I.  3.  5.  7.  9.  II.  13.  14.  15.  17.  19.  20; 
3,  1-6.  17.  21.  23.  26.  29;  4,  4.  9.  14.  15.  In  2,  3,  27  and  3, 
29,  35  there  is  eUsion  at  the  end  of  the  third  verse. 

41 


§§  69-71]  INTRODUCTION 

69.    The  Sapphic  Strophe  —  three  Lesser  Sapphics  (51),  and  an 
Adonic  (45)  :  — 


After  the  Alcaic  the  most  frequent  strophe;  found  in  C.  i,  2.  10. 
12.  20.  22.  25.  30.  32.  38;  2,  2.  4.  6.  8.  10.  16;  3,  8.  II.  14.  18. 
20.  22.  27  ;  4,  2.  6.  II  ;  C.  S.  The  feminine  caesura  is  found  in 
a  few  cases  (cf.  51).  In  a  number  of  strophes  Horace  follows 
Sappho  in  treating  the  third  and  fourth  verses  as  one,  so  that  in 
three  places  (C  1,  2,  19;  i,  25,  11  ;  2,  16,  7)  words  run  over 
from  one  verse  to  the  next  as  now  printed ;  elision  at  the  end  of 
the  third  verse  is  found,  4,  2,  23  and  C.  S.  47  ;  hiatus  between 
the  verses  occurs  but  four  times  (C  i,  2,  47  ;  i,  12,  7  and  31  ; 
I,  22,  15);  and  in  most  cases  the  dactyl  of  the  fourth  verse  is 
preceded  by  a  spondee  at  the  close  of  the  third. 

EHsion  occurs  three  times  also  at  the  end  of  the  second  verse 
(C.  2,  2,  18;  2,  16,  34;  4,  2,  22). 

70.  The  Greater  Sapphic  Strophe — an  Aristophanic  verse  (46) 
followed  by  a  Greater  Sapphic  (52)  :  — 

C.  I,  8. 

71.  The  First  Asclepiadic  Strophe  —  a  Glyconic  (48)  followed 
by  a  Lesser  Asclepiadic  (53)  :  — 

C.  I,  3.  13.  19.  36  ;  3,  9.  15.  19.  24.  25.  28  ;  4,  I.  3.  Elision  at 
the  end  of  the  Glyconic  is  found  4,  i,  35. 

42 


METRES  [§§  72-77 

72.  The  Second  Asclepiadic  Strophe — three  Lesser  Asclepia- 
dics  followed  by  a  Glyconic  :  — 

-^>1  A.^  I  '^IIA.^  I^w  I^A       1-3 
->  l-^w  1-w  i  ^  A  4 

C.    I,  6.  15.  24.  33  ;   2,  12  ;   3,  10.  16  ;  4,  5.  12. 

73.  The  Third  Asclepiadic  Strophe  —  two  Lesser  Asclepiadics, 
a  Pherecratic  (47),  and  a  Glyconic  :  — 

^>|-^wl     ^^    I^A  3 

-^>|-^w|^w|^A  4 

C.      I,   5.    14.   21.   23;    3,    7.    13;    4,    13. 

74.  The  Iambic  Strophe  —  an  Iambic  Trimeter  (58)  followed 
by  an  Iambic  Dimeter  (55)  :  — 


Epod.  i-io. 

75.  The   First  Pythiambic   Strophe  —  a   Dactylic    Hexameter 
(63)  followed  by  an  Iambic  Dimeter  (55)  :  — 

/  —  I  /    —      I  /  II I  /  —  I  /  I  /  w 

>    W  I     >    W  — 

Epod.  14  and  15. 

76.  The  Second  Pythiambic  Strophe  —  a  Dactylic  Hexameter 
followed  by  a  Pure  Iambic  Trimeter  :  — 


Epod.  16. 

77.   The  Alctnanian  Strophe  —  a  Dactylic  Hexameter  followed 
by  a  Dactylic  Tetrameter  (62)  :  — 

—  vTw  I  —  \j\J  i  —  II  \j  v^  I  —  \j\j  I  —  w  vv   I 

WW    I    WW    I   WW    I 

C.    I,  7.  28  ;  Epod.  12. 

43 


§§  78-83]  INTRODUCTION 

78.   The  First  Archilochian  Strophe  —  a  Dactylic    Hexameter 
followed  by  a  Lesser  Archilochian  (61)  :  — 


C.   4,  7. 


wv/  I  —  \^v^  I  —  II  w^  I  — v^^  I  —  ^  \y  I  —  — 
^  I  -^  I  ^  - 


79.  The  Second  Archilochian  Strophe  —  a  Dactylic  Hexameter 
followed  by  an  lambelegus  (66)  :  — 

—  \j\j  I  —  C7^  I   —  II  \u  \j  I  —  \j  \j  I  —  \j  \j   I  —  — 
>:  —  \j   \  —  >    I  —  '^l   —  A"  —  wwl  —  wwl  —  /^ 

Epod.  13. 

80.  The  Third  Archilochian    Strophe  —  an   Iambic   Trimeter 
followed  by  an  Elegiambus  (67)  :  — 

>  —  Ky  —  l>ll  —  y' —  l>  —  \J  — 

—  ^  \j  I  —  Kj  \j  I  —  aIIV:  —  >^  I  —  >l  —  w  I'^A 
Epod.  1 1 . 

81.  The  Fourth  Archilochian  Strophe  —  a  Greater  Archilochian 
(65)  followed  by  an  Iambic  Trimeter  Catalectic  (56)  :  — 

—  0~0   I  —  \TXJ   I  —  II   <J^O  I  —  v^wll  —  ■^J    \  —  >^l  —  — 

C.    1,4- 

82.  The  Trochaic  Strophe  —  a  Euripidean  (59)  followed  by  an 
Iambic  Trimeter  Catalectic  :  — 

/        ^        I  ^      ^  A 

>.  —  \j         >ll  —  v^  —  ^1         —  A 
C.     2,    18. 

83.  The   Ionic   Systejn  —  pure   lonici  a   minore,  ^  w ,  in 

verses  of  ten  feet :  — 

/  /  \  //i  //i  //|  // 

WW I    \J    \J I    WW I    WW I    WW 

/   /  \  //l  //l  //l  // 

WW I    WW I   WW I    WW  I    WW 

C.    3,  12.     Diaeresis  occurs  at  the  end  of  most  feet. 

44 


SYNTAX  [§§  84-88 

SYNTAX 

The  following  paragraphs  deal  briefly  with  the  constructions  in 
the  lyrics  of  Horace,  which  depart  most  from  prose  usage. 

THE  ACCUSATIVE 

84.  The  perfect  passive  participle  is  used  as  a  middle  with  a 
direct  object,  sometimes  accompanied  by  an  instrumental  abla- 
tive :  I,  I,  21  membra  .  .  .  stratus,  'stretching  his  Hmbs.'  i, 
2,  31  nube  candentis  ttmeros  amictus,  'wrapping  thy  shining 
shoulders  in  a  cloud.'  3,  8,  5  docttts  sermones,  '  learned  in  the 
lore.' 

85.  The  common  prose  use  of  the  accusative  neuter  of  ad- 
jectives of  number  or  amount  is  extended  to  other  adjectives 
which  express  the  manner  of  the  action  :  i,  22,  23  dulce  ridentem, 
dulce  loquentem,  '  sweetly  smiling,    sweetly  prattling.' 

86.  The  object  accusative  is  used  with  many  verbs  which  were 
ordinarily  intransitive  before  Horace's  time  :  2,  13,  26  fif.  sonantem 
.  .  .  plectro  dura  navis,  dura  fugae  mala,  dura  belli,  '  sounding 
with  his  plectrum  the  hardships  of  the  sea,  the  cruel  hardships  of 
exile,  the  hardships  of  war.'  4,  12,  5  Ityn  flebiliter gemens,  'sadly 
mourning  Itys.'  4,  13,  19  spirabat  amores,  'breathed  forth  love.' 
Epod.  14,  II  fievit  amorem,  '  wept  his  love.' 

THE   DATIVE 

87.  The  dative  of  agent  is  used  with  the  perfect  participle : 
I,  32,  5  barbite  Lesbio  modulate  civi,  'lyre  tuned  by  Lesbian  citi- 
zen.' Also  with  verbs  expressing  feeling  or  perception:  i,  i,  24  f. 
bella  matribus  detestata,  '  wars  which  mothers  hate.'  Rarely 
with  present  passives:  as  3,  25,  3  f .  quibus  antris  audiar?  'by 
what  grottoes  shall  I  be  heard  ? ' 

88.  The  dative  of  place,  as  well  as  of  person,  is  used  to  denote 
the  direction  of  motion  :  4,  4,  69  f.  Carthagini  iam  nonego  nuntios 

45 


§§  88-94]  INTRODUCTION 

mittain  superbos,  '  no  longer  shall  I  send  proud  messengers  to 
Carthage.'  Cf.  i,  24,  15  num  vanae  redeat  sanguis  imagini  ? 
'  would  the  blood  return  to  the  empty  shade  ? ' 

89.  The  dative  is  also  used  with  verbs  expressing  union,  com- 
parison, difference,  etc. :  1,1,15  Itictantem  Icariis  fluctibiis 
Africum,  'the  Afric  struggling  with  the  Icarian  waves.'  i,  i, 
30  ttie  .  .  .  dis  miscent  superis,  '  make  me  one  with  the  gods 
above.'  i,  24,  18  nigra  compulerit gregi,  'has  gathered  to  his  dark 
flock.' 

THE  GENITIVE 

90.  An  adjective  is  often  modified  by  a  partitive  genitive  :  i, 
10,  19  superis  deorum,  equivalent  to  superis  deis  in  prose.  1,  9, 
14  quern  fors  dierum  cumque  dabit,  equivalent  to  quemcunique 
diem. 

91.  In  imitation  of  a  Greek  construction,  a  genitive  is  used 
modifying  a  neuter  plural  adjective:  2,  i,  23  cuncta  ierrarum, 
'all  the  world.' 

92.  The  objective  genitive  is  used  with  a  larger  number  of 
adjectives  than  in  prose  :  i,  3,  i  diva  potens  Cypri,  'goddess  that 
ruleth  Cyprus.'  1,  34,  2  f.  insanientis  sapientiae  consultus,  'adept 
in  a  mad  philosophy.'  2,  6,  7  lasso  maris  et  viarum,  '  weary  of 
journeys  by  sea  and  land.'  3,  27,  10  imbrium  divina  avis,  'bird 
prophetic  of  storms.'  4,  6,  43  docilis  modorum,  '  taught  the 
strains  of.' 

93.  In  a  few  cases  the  genitive  of  '  specification '  is  used  :  2, 
22,  I  integer  vitae,  'pure  in  life.'  3,  5,  42  capitis  minor,  'inferior 
as  an  individual '  =  '  deprived  of  civil  rights.'  And  once  2,  2,  6 
the  genitive  is  almost  causal :  notus  animi paterni,  '  known  for  his 
paternal  spirit.' 

94.  The  objective  genitive  is  used  with  verbs  of  ceasing,  want- 
ing, etc.,  in  imitation  of  the  Greek  construction  :  2,  9,  18  desine 
querellarum,  'cease  thy  plaints.'     3,  17,  16 /amti/is  operum  solutis, 

46 


SYNTAX  [§§  94-99 

'the  servants  freed  from  toil.'     3,  27,  69  abstiyieto  irarum,  'give 
up  thy  wrath.' 

THE   ABLATIVE 

The  simple  ablative,  without  a  preposition,  is  used  somewhat 
more  freely  than  in  prose. 

95.  The  simple  ablative  is  used  to  express  the  place  where  an 
action  occurs:  i,  2,  9  siiinma  haesit  ulmo,  'clung  in  the  top  of 
the  elm.'  i,  9,  10  f.  ventos  aeqiiore  fervido  deproeliantis,  'winds 
struggling  over  the  yeasty  deep.'  i,  32,  8  religarat  litore  iiavim, 
'  anchored  his  ships  off  the  shore,'  also  belongs  here. 

96.  Once  in  the  Odes  the  ablative  of  agent  is  used  without  a 
preposition:  1,6,  1  i.  scriberis  Vario  .  .  .  AIa€07iii  carminis  alite, 
'  thou  shalt  be  sung  by  Varius,  that  bird  of  Maeonian  song.' 
With  this  we  may  compare  Epist.  1,  19,  2  carmina,  quae  scrihun- 
tiir  aquae potoribus,  'verses  written  by  teetotalers,'  although  most 
editors  and  grammarians  regard  potoribus  as  dative  of  agent. 
While  the  phrase  Vario  .  .  .  alite  approaches  the  ablative  abso- 
lute, the  difference  between  it  and  such  cases  as  S.  2,  i,  84  iudice 
laudatus  Caesare  must  not  be  overlooked. 

97.  The  instrumental  ablative  is  found  once  with  a  verbal  lioun  : 
3,  4,  55  truncis  iaculator,  *  he  who  threw  trunks  of  trees.' 

98.  With  vmto  and  a  direct  object  the  ablative  is  used  to  denote 
both  that  which  is  given  and  that  which  is  received  in  exchange  ; 
the  context  alone  shows  the  relation  :  i,  17,  i  f.  Lucre fiiem  mutat 
Lycaeo,  'exchanges  Lycaeus  for  Lucretihs.'  The  opposite  i,  16, 
25  f.  ego  mitibus  mutare  quaero  tristia,  '  I  seek  to  substitute  kind 
feelings  for  bitterness.' 

«TRANSFERRED'   ADJECTIVES 

99.  An  adjective  which  naturally  expresses  some  quality  of  a 
person  or  thing  is  sometimes  transferred  to  an  object  or  action 
which  is  associated  with  that  person  or  thing  :  i,  3,  38  ff.  neque  \ 
per  nostrum  paiimur  scelus  \  iracunda  lovem  ponere  fulmina  ; 
I,  15,  33  f.  ii-acunda  .  .  .  classis  Achillei. 

47 


§§  I00-I05]  INTRODUCTION 

THE  dTTo  Koivov  CONSTRUCTION 

100.  Occasionally  a  word  is  so  placed  with  reference  to  two 
other  words  that  it  may  grammatically  be  connected  with  either, 
while  logically  it  is  necessarily  so  connected:  2,  11,  iif.  ^uid 
aeternis  minorem  \  consiliis  anitnum  fatigas  ?  In  this  consiliis 
belongs  equally  to  minore?n  and  to  fatigas. 

THE   VERB 

1 01.  A  singular  verb  is  frequently  used  with  two  or  more  sub- 
jects :  3,  16,  29  if.  rivus  aquae  silvaque  .  .  .  segetis  certa  fides 
.   ,  .  fallit. 

102.  The  future  indicative  is  occasionally  used  with  permissive 
or  hortatory  force :  i,  7,  i  laudabunt  alii  claram  Rhodon, 
'others  may  praise,'  etc.;  i,  12,  57  ff.  te  minor  latum  reget 
aequus  orbem,  etc.,  'let  him  rule,'  etc. 

103.  The  perfect  is  used  like  the  Greek  gnomic  aorist,  to  ex- 
press what  has  always  been  true  or  customary,  i.e.  a.  general  truth 
or  customary  action  :  i,  28,  20  nullum  saeva  caput  Proserpina 
fugit,  'cruel  Proserpina  never  passes  by  {i.e.  never  has,  and  there- 
fore, by  implication,  never  does  pass)  a  mortal.' 

PROHIBITIONS 

104.  Horace  occasionally  employs  the  archaic  form  of  prohi- 
bition, consisting  of  the  imperative  with  ne :  i,  28,  23  ne  parce 
harenae,  '  spare  not  the  sand.' 

Occasionally  a  circumlocution  is  employed  :  i,  9,  i^fuge  quae- 
rere,  'avoid  asking' ;   i,  38,  3  mitte  sectari,  '  give  up  hunting.' 

INFINITIVE 

105.  The  'historical'  infinitive  is  found  but  once  in  the  Epodes, 
not  in  the  Odes :  Epod.  5,  84  puer  iam  non  .  .  .  lenire  verbis 
impias,  *  the  boy  no  longer  tries  to  move  the  wretches  by  words.' 

48 


SYNTAX  [§§  106-110 

106.  The  'exclamatory'  infinitive  is  found  but  twice  in  the 
Epodes,  not  in  the  Odes :  Epod.  8,  i  rogare  te,  etc.,  '  the  idea  of 
your  asking  ! '  1 1,  r  i  f.  contrdne  lucrum  nil  valere  candidum  \  pau- 
peris ingenium  ?  '  to  think  that  against  mere  gold  the  purity  of  a 
poor  man's  character  has  no  power  ! ' 

107.  The  infinitive  of  purpose  is  found  occasionally  :  i,  2,  7  f. 
peeus  egit  altos  \  visere  montis,  '  he  drove  the  flock  to  visit  the  high 
mountains';  i,  12,  2  quern  sumis  celebrare  ?  'whom  dost  thou 
take  to  celebrate  in  song?  '  i,  26,  i  fif.  tristitiam  et  metus  \  tradam 
protervis  in  mare  Crelicu?n  |  portare  ventis,  '  gloom  and  fear  will  I 
give  to  the  bold  winds  to  carry  to  the  Cretan  sea' ;  Epod.  16,  16 
malis  carere  quaeritis  laboribus,  '  you  seek  to  escape,'  etc. 

108.  The  infinitive  is  used  with  a  large  variety  of  adjectives  to 
complete  their  meaning:  i,  3,  25  audax  omnia  perpeti,  'with 
courage  to  endure  all';  i,  10,  7  callidu7?i  .  .  .  condere,  'skilled 
to  hide';  i,  15,  18  celerem  sequi,  'swift  in  pursuit';  i,  35,  2 
praesens..  .  .  tollere,  'with  power  to  raise';  3,  21,  22  segnes 
nodum  solvere,  'slow  to  undo  the  knot';  4,  12,  19  spes  donare 
novas  largus,  '  generous  in  giving  new  hope  ' ;  etc. 

109.  The  passive  infinitive  is  also  used  as  a  verbal  noun  in  the 
ablative:  i,  19,  8  lubricus  adspici,  'dazzling;'  4,  2,  59  niveus 
videri,  'white  in  appearance.' 

THE   PARTICIPLE 

110.  The  future  active  participle  is  often  used  to  express  pur- 
pose, readiness  or  ability,  and  prophecy,  being  equivalent  to  a 
clause:  i,  35,  29  iturum  Caesarem,  'Caesar,  who  proposes  to 
go ' ;  2,  6,  I  Seplimi,  Gadis  aditure  mecum,  '  Septimius,  thou  who 
art  ready,'  etc. ;  4,  3,  20  O  mutis  quoque  piscibus  donatura  cycni 
.  .  .  sonum,  '  O  thou  who  couldst  give,'  etc. ;  2,  3,  4  moriture 
Delli,  '  Dellius,  who  art  doomed  to  die.' 


HOR.    CAR.  —  4  49 


HORATI    CARMINA 

LIBER   PRIMVS 
I 

This  ode  forms  the  prologue  to  the  three  books  of  lyrics  published 
by  Horace  in  23  B.C.  After  the  first  two  lines  addressed  to  Maecenas, 
which  virtually  dedicate  the  whole  collection  to  him,  Horace  rehearses 
the  various  interests  of  men,  that  at  the  end  he  may  present  his  own 
ambition.  '  Some  men  seek  fame  in  athletic  games  or  in  politics  (3-8), 
others  have  lower  aims  —  riches,  ease,  war,  or  hunting  (9-28)  ;  but  as 
for  me,  I  have  the  loftiest  aim  of  all,  Maecenas  —  to  wear  the  ivy  wreath 
and  be  the  Muse's  dear  companion  (29-34).'  The  ode  was  clearly 
written  after  the  collection  was  fairly  complete ;  that  is,  not  long  before 
the  actual  publication.     Metre,  53. 

Maecenas  atavis  edite  regibus, 

o  et  praesidium  et  dulce  decus  meum  : 

I.   Maecenas:     for    Maecenas'  and  note ;  2,2g,i  Tyrr/ienaregum 

position   at   Rome   and  Horace's  progenies;  S.  i,  6,  iff. ;  Prop.  4, 

relations   with   him,   see    Intr.    5.  9,  i   Maecenas^  eques  Etrusco  de 

—  atavis:  ancestors,  in  a  general  sangtmie  regtnn.  This  habit  is 
sense,  in  apposition  with  regibus.  referred  to  by  Martial  12,  4,   i  f. 

—  edite  regibus :  Maecenas  was  quod  Flacco  Varioque  fiat  sitm- 
descended  from  an  ancient  line  fuoque  Maroni  \  Maecetias  atavis 
of  princes  of  the  Etruscan  city  of  regibus  ortics  eques. 

Arretium.      Horace  and  his  con-  2.  oet:    monosyllabic  interjec- 

temporaries    emphasize   the   con-  tions   are    ordinarily    not    elided, 

trast  between  their  patron's  noble  Intr.  42.  —  praesidium  .  .  .  decus: 

birth  and  the  equestrian  rank  he  not  merely  a  formal  compliment, 

preferred  to  keep  at  Rome.      Cf.  for  there  is  a  warmth  in  the  second 

3,  16,  20  Maecenas,  eqiiitum  decus  half  of  the  expression  that  is  com- 

51 


I.  I.  3] 


HORATI 


Sunt  quos  curriculo  pulverem  Olympicum 
collegisse  iuvat  metaque  fervidis 
evitata  rotis,  palmaque  nobilis 
terrarum  dominos  evehit  ad  deos ; 
hunc,  si  mobilium  turba  Quiritium 


parable  to  the  feeling  expressed  in 
hpod.  I.  Cf.  the  more  formal 
phrase  2,  17,  3f.  Maecenas,  mea- 
riim  I  grande  deciis  cohiinenqtce 
rerum;  a\so  Epist.  i,  i,  103  rem  in. 
tutela  tnearmn.  Vergil  makes  a 
similar  acknowledgment  of  his 
obligation,  G.  2,  40  f.  0  deciis, 
o  famae  merito  pars  max-uma 
nostrae,  \  Maecenas.  Horace's 
phrase  proved  a  striking  one  and 
is  frequently  adopted  by  later 
writers. 

3  ff.  Note  how  Horace  secures 
variety  in  the  expressions  by  which 
he  designates  the  various  classes  : 
sunt  quos.  hunc,  ilium,  etc.  He 
has  also  arranged  his  typical  ex- 
amples with  care,  contrasting  one 
aim  in  life  with  the  other,  and  in 
each  case  bringing  out  the  point 
which  would  be  criticised  by  one 
not  interested  in  that  particular 
pursuit. 

—  sunt  quos  .  .  .  iuvat :  equiva- 
lent to  aliquos  iuvat.  Cf.  v.  19  est 
qui.  The  indicative  with  this 
phrase  defines  the  class,  rather 
than  gives  its  characteristics.  — 
curriculo :  from  currzculus,  chariot. 
—  Olympicum:  i.e.  at  the  great 
games  held  every  four  years  at 
Olympia  in  Elis.  Yet  Horace 
probably  uses  the  adjective  simply 


to  make  his  statement  concrete. 
Cf  note  to  V.  13.  He  is  speaking 
here  of  athletic  contests  in  general. 

4.  collegisse :  to  have  raised 
in  a  cloud.  Cf.  S.  i,  4,  31  piil- 
vis  collectus  turbine.  —  meta :  the 
turning  post  at  the  end  of  the 
spina,  which  was  the  barrier  that 
ran  through  the  middle  of  the  cir- 
cus, and  round  which  the  horses 
raced.  See  Schreiber-Anderson's 
Atlas,  pi.  31,  I  and  2,  for  illustra- 
tions of  the  race  course. 

5.  evitata  :  just  grazed.  The 
skill  of  the  charioteer  was  shown  in 
making  as  close  a  turn  as  possible 
about  the  meta  without  meeting 
disaster.  —  palmaque :  equivalent 
to  quosque  palma.  The  palm, 
which  was  the  regular  prize  for 
the  Olympic  victor  from  the  time 
of  Alexander,  was  adopted  by  the 
Romans  about  293  B.C.  Livy  10, 
47,  3  translato  e  Graecia  marc. 
—  nobilis :  with  active  meaning, 
modifying  palma,  the  ennobling. 

6.  dominos  :  in  apposition  with 
deos.  The  victory  exalts  the  vic- 
tors to  heaven,  where  dwell  the 
rulers  of  the  world.  Cf  4,  2,  17  f. 
quos  Elea  domum  reducit  \  palma 
caelestis. 

7ff.  Political  ambition.  —  hunc  : 
sc.  iuvat.  —  mobilium:  fickle;  cf 


52 


CARMINA 


[i.  I,  14 


certat  tergeminis  tollere  honoribus  ; 
ilium,  si  proprio  condidit  horreo 
quicquid  de  Libycis  verritur  areis. 
Gaudenteni  patrios  findere  sarculo 
agros  Attalicis  condicionibus 
numquam  demoveas,  ut  trabe  Cypria 
Myrtoum  pavidus  nauta  secet  mare ; 


Epist.  I,  19,  37  ventosa  piebs. — 
tergeminis :  the  three  necessary 
steps  in  the  republican  ciirsns 
honorum,  the  curule  aedileship, 
praetorship,  and  consulship. 

gf.  propris:  with  quicquid,  re- 
ferring to  the  avarice  which  is 
frequently  connected  with  great 
wealth.  For  the  expression,  cf. 
3,  16,  26  f.  si  quicquid  arat  i>/i- 
piger  Apiilus  \  occttltare  vieis  di- 
cer er  horreis.  —  Libycis :  Africa, 
especially  the  fertile  district  of 
Byzacium  about  Utica  and  Ha- 
drumetum,  was  at  this  time  the 
granary  of  Rome ;  later,  Egypt 
became  the  most  important  source 
of  supply. 

iiff.  A  modest  establishment, 
in  contrast  to  a  great  estate  in 
Africa. — patrios:  in  this  word  there 
is  a  suggestion  of  contentment  and 
calm  security,  as  in  Epod.  2.  3  pa- 
ter tia  rura.  This  security  is  again 
contrasted  with  the  vicissitudes 
and  perils  of  the  sailor. — sarculo: 
a  hoe  used  for  stirring  and  loosen- 
ing the  soil.  It  suggests  the  small 
farm  that  Horace  has  in  mind,  too 
small  to  make  it  worth  while  to 
use  a  plow.  —  Attalicis  condicion- 
ibus :  Tvith  the  terms  a  prince  could 


offer;  regiis  opibus,  says  Porphy- 
rio.  The  Attali,  kings  of  Perga- 
mon,  were  famous  for  their  wealth. 
In  133  B.C.  King  Attalus  III,  at  his 
death,  bequeathed  his  kingdom, 
with  his  treasures,  to  the  Romans. 
This  lent  to  his  name  the  glamour 
of  wealth  which  we  associate  with 
the  name  of  Croesus. 

13.  demoveas:  potential  subj-, 
— you  could  never  allure.  —  trabe : 
bark.  The  part  is  used  for  the 
whole.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  3,  191  vela 
damns  vastumque  cava  trabe  cur- 
rimus  aequor  ;  Catull.  4,  3  natantis 
itnpetuJii  trabis.  —  Cypria :  Hor- 
ace regularly  employs  a  particular 
rather  than  a  general  adjective, 
thereby  making  his  expressions 
more  concrete  and  his  pictures 
more  vivid  —  a  device  learned  from 
the  Alexandrine  poets.  So  we  have 
in  the  following  verse  Myrtoum, 
15  Icariis,  19  Massici,  28  Marsus  ; 
and  often. 

14.  pavidus :  especially  applica- 
ble to  the  landsman  turned  sailor. 
— secet  mare:  a  common  figure 
from  Homer's  day.  Cf.  Od.  3, 
173!!".  avrap  o  y  rffiiv  \  Setl^e,  kcu 
r/vutyu  TTcAxxyo?  /xecrov  ets  EujSoiai/  ' 
re'/xvetv. 


53 


h  1, 15] 


HORATI 


15 


25 


luctantem  Icariis  fluctibus  Africum 
mercator  metuens  otium  et  oppidi 
laudat  rura  sui :  mox  rencit  ratis 
quassas,  indocilis  pauperiem  pati. 
Est  qui  nee  veteris  pocula  Massici 
nee  partem  solido  demere  de  die 
spernit,  mine  viridi  membra  sub  arbuto 
stratus,  nune  ad  aquae  lene  eaput  sacrae. 
Multos  eastra  iu'.'^ant  et  lituo  tubae 
permixtus  sonitus  bellaque  matribus 
detestata.     Manet  sub  love  frigido 


15  ff.  Against  the  struggles  of 
the  sea,  the  trader  sets  the  peaceful 
quiet  of  his  nativecountry  town;  yet 
it  has  this  roseate  hue  for  him  only 
when  he  is  in  the  midst  of  danger. 

16  f.  oppidi  rura:  'the  country 
districts  surrounding  the  village  in 
which  he  was  born.'  —  mox:  his 
fear  quickly  passes,  and  he  returns 
to  his  old  pursuit  of  money  getting. 

18.  pauperiem:  a  life  of  small 
estate;  not  to  be  confused  with 
egestas  or  inopia.  Cf.  i,  12,  43f. 
saeva  paupertas  et  avitiis  apto  \ 
cum  lare  fundus,  also  Sen.  Epist. 
87, 40  twn  video  quidaliiid  sit  pau- 
pertas  qiiam  parvi  posses sio.  — 
pati:  with  indocilis.     Intr.  108. 

igff.  Between  the  merchant  (u^- 
18)  and  the  soldier  (23-25)  is  in- 
serted an  example  of  the  man  who 
gives  himself  over  to  a  life  of  ease 
and  enjoyment,  to  cups  of  good 
old  wine  and  the  noonday  siesta. 
—  Massici:  a  choice  wine  from  Mt. 
Massicus,  on  the  southern  border 


of  Latium.  —  solido  .  .  .  die:  tinitt- 
terrupted,  unbrokeft;  i.e.  for  such 
strenuous  men  as  the  merchant  or 
the  soldier,  who  give  their  days  to 
trade  or  arms.  Cf  Sen.  Epist.  83, 
3  hodiernics  dies  solidus  est :  nemo 
ex  illo  quicquam  mihi  eripuit. 

21  f.  stratus:  a  middle  parti- 
ciple,—  stretching  his  limbs,  etc. 
Intr.  84.  —  sacrae:  for  the  foun- 
tain heads  of  streams  were  the 
homes  of  the  water  divinities.  Cf 
Sen.  Epist. /\\,  3,  tnagjioruf/i  Jlumi- 
num  capita  vetieramur,  .  .  .  colun- 
tur  aqiiartim  calentium  fontes. 

24 ff.  matribus:  dat.  with  detes- 
tata ;  abJiorred.  Cf  Epod.  1 6,  8 
pare7ttibusqjie  abominatus  Hanni- 
bal.—  manet:  equivalent  to  per- 
noctat.  —  sub  love  :  under  the  sky. 
Jupiter  is  often  used  by  the  poets 
for  the  phenomena  of  the  sky.  Cf 
Enn.  Epich.  Erg.  6  M.  is  tic  est  is 
liipiter  quem  dico;  quem  Graeci 
vocant  I  derem,  qui  vhitus  est  et 
nUtbes,  imber  postea  \  dtqueeximbre 


54 


CARMINA 


[I.  I,  36 


venator  tenerae  coniugis  immemor, 
seu  visa  est  catulis  cerva  fidelibus, 
sen  rupit  teretis  Marsus  aper  plagas. 
Me  doctarum  hederae  praemia  frontium 

30  dis  miscent  superis  ;  me  gelidum  nemiis 

Nympharumque  leves  cum  Satyris  chori 
secernunt  populo,  si  neque  tibias 
Euterpe  cohibet  nee  Polyhymnia 
Lesboum  refugit  tendere  barbiton. 

35  Quod  si  me  lyricis  vatibuS  inseres, 

sublimi  feriam  sidera  vertice. 


frigjts,  vent  lis  post  Jit,  aer  denuo. 
— tenerae:  youtig. 

28.  teretis:  stout,  close  twisted. 

29.  me:  note  the  emphatic  po- 
sition of  this  word  here  and  in  the 
following  verse.  Against  the  back- 
ground of  other  men's  aims,  Horace 
now  places  his  own  ambition. — 
doctarum . . .  frontium :  i.e.  of  poets, 
the  cro(f>oL  aetSoi  taught  by  the 
Muses.  —  hederae :  sacred  to  Bac- 
chus, on  whose  protection  and  favor 
the  poets  depend.  Cf.  Epist.  i,  3, 25 
prima  feres  hederae  victricis  prae- 
mia, and  Verg.  E.  7,  25  past  ores, 
hedera  nascentem  ornate  poetavi. 

30.  miscent :  make  me  one  with. 
Cf.  Pind.  Isth.  2.  28  f.  'OAv/attiov 
Atos  I  a  Aero?  •  Iv  d^avarois  Alvr)- 
criodfjLov  I  TraiSe?  iv  rijU-ats  efxti^Oev. 

32  f.  secernunt:  set  apart.  The 
poet  must  rise  superior  to  common 
folk  and  common  things  to  fulfill 
his  sacred  office.  —  Euterpe  .  .  . 
Polyhymnia  :  Horace  follows  the 
Greeks  of  the  classical  period  in  not 


ascribing  to  each  muse  a  special  de- 
partment of  literature  or  learning. 

34.  Lesboum:  Lesbos  was  the 
home  of  Alcaeus  and  Sappho,  Hor- 
ace's chief  models  among  the  ear- 
lier Greek  lyricists. 

35  f .  vatibus :  applied  to  poets 
as  inspired  bards.  Horace  may 
mean  specifically  the  nine  great 
lyric  poets  of  Greece,  vates  was 
th  e  earliest  word  for  poet  among  the 
Romans,  but  was  displaced  by  the 
Greek  poeta  until  the  Augustan 
period.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  662  quique 
pa  vates  et  Phoebo  digna  locuti. 
—  sublimi  feriam,  etc.:  a  prover- 
bial expression  from  the  Greek  T17 
K€<]>'j.X.r}  ij/aijeLV  tov  ovpavov.  Cf. 
Ovid  Met.  7,  61  vertice  sidera  tan- 
gam,  and  Ausonius'  imitation  of 
Horace,  3. 5, 52  P.  titnctangam  ver- 
tice caelum.  Also  Herrick's  'knock 
at  a  star  with  my  exalted  head,'  and 
Tennyson's  lines.  Epilogue,  *01d 
Horace  ?  "I  will  strike,"  said  he, 
I  "  The  stars  with  head  sublime.'" 


55 


I,  2]  HORATI 


/ 


'  We  have  been  terrified  enough  with  snow  and  hail,  with  lightning 
and  with  flood,  portents  that  show  Heaven's  wrath  and  threaten  ruin 
to  our  impious  state.  Wliat  god  will  come  and  save  us?  Apollo? 
Venus?  Mars?  or  Mercury?  Aye,  thou  art  already  here.  Remain 
long  among  us,  enjoy  triumphs,  the  name  of  father  and  of  chief;  check 
and  punish  the  Medes,  divine  leader  Caesar.' 

While  the  first  ode  of  the  collection  dedicates  the  poems  to  Maece- 
nas, the  second  is  a  declaration  of  loyalty  and  devotion  to  the  emperor. 
The  first  six  strophes  review  the  portents  that  followed  on  the  murder 
of  Julius  Caesar.  Cf.  Porphyrio's  comment  on  the  opening  words, — 
post  occisum  C.  Caesarem,  qjiem  Cassms  et  Brutus  aliique  coniurati 
interfecerunt,  viulta  portenta  stint  visa.  Haec  autem  omnia  vidt  videri 
in  ultionevi  occisi  principis  facta  et  poenain  eorum,  qui  bella  civilia 
agere  nnn  desinebant.  With  v.  25  Horace  turns  from  the  sins  of  the 
Romans  to  the  means  of  help.  The  following  three  strophes  call  on 
Apollo,  Venus,  and  Mars  in  turn  to  save  their  people.  Finally,  v.  41  ff., 
Horace  appeals  to  Mercury,  who  has  taken  on  an  earthly  form,  that  of 
the  emperor.  The  ode  culminates  with  v.  49  ff.,  the  direct  appeal  to 
Octavian ;  but  the  identification  of  Octavian  with  Mercury  is  not  fully 
announced  until  the  last  word  of  the  ode. 

The  choice  of  the  gods  invoked  was  undoubtedly  determined  by  the 
subject  of  the  ode.  Apollo  was  the  patron  divinity  of  the  Julian  gens; 
his  first  and  only  temple  at  Rome  to  the  time  of  the  one  built  by  Augus- 
tus was  dedicated  in  431  B.C.,  by  Cn.  Julius  (Livy  4,  29)  ;  the  members  of 
the  gens  sacrificed  to  him  at  Bovillae,  according  to  an  ancient  rite,  lege 
Albana  {C.l.L.  i,  807),  and  Octavian  believed  that  the  god  had  espe- 
cially favored  him  at  the  battle  of  Actium.  Cf.  Prop.  5,  6,  27  ff.,  cum 
Phoebus  litiquens  stantem  se  vindice  Delon  \  .  .  .  adstitit  Augicsti  pup- 
pim  super  et  nova  flamma  \  luxit  in  obliquam  ter  sinuato  facem.  Verg. 
A.  8,  704,  Actius  haec  cernens  arcuin  intendebat  Apollo.  Venus,  mater 
Aeneadum,  as  genetrix  was  the  especial  protectress  of  Julius  Caesar. 
Augustus  is  himself  called  (C  S.  50),  clarus  Anchisae  Venerisque 
sanguis.  Mars  is  naturally  appealed  to  as  the  father  of  Romulus'  people. 
The  final  identification  of  the  emperor  is  especially  interesting,  for  it 
bears  on  the  social  and  economic  relations  of  the  times.  Under  Octavian, 
with  the  restoration  of  peace,  trade  improved  and  prosperity  returned, 
so  that  nothing  could  be  more  natural  than  to  regard  the  man  who 
was  bringing  this  about  as  the  incarnation  of  the  god  of  trade. 

The  Pompeian  dedicatory  inscriptions  quoted  by  Kiessling  admirably 

56 


CARMINA 


[i,  2,  6 


illustrate  the  growth  of  this  identification,  at  least  in  the  Campanian 
city.  In  three  of  these  records  (C./.Z.  lo,  885-887),  the  first  two  of 
which  can  be  dated  14  B.C.,  the  persons  attached  to  the  cult  of  Mer- 
cury are  called  ministri  Mercurii  Maiae;  then  no.  888,  of  uncertain 
date,  has  ministri  Augusti  Mercuri  Maiae ;  and  finally  nos.  890- 
910,  beginning  with  2  B.C.,  have  only  ministri  Angusii.  Later,  the 
conception  of  Augustus  as  identical  with  Apollo  prevailed. 

The  date  of  composition  falls  between  the  return  of  Octavian  from 
the  East  in  29  B.C.  (cf.  v.  49,  inagnos — triumphos)  and  Jan.  13th,  27  B.C., 
when  his  imperium  was  renewed,  and  he  received  the  new  title,  Augus- 
tus. The  most  probable  date  is  late  in  28  B.C.,  when  Octavian's 
suggestion  of  giving  up  his  power  (Dio  C.  53,  4,  9)  may  well  have 
awakened  fears  of  the  return  of  civil  strife.     Metre,  69. 

lam  satis  terris  nivis  atque  dirae 
grandinis  misit  pater,  et  riibente 
dextera  sacras  iaculatus  arcis 
terruit  urbem, 

5  terruit  gentis,  grave  ne  rediret 

saeculum  Pyrrhae  nova  monstra  questae, 


I  ff.  the  repetition  of -is  is  strik- 
ing and  may  suggest  the  hiss  of  the 
storm.  Cf.  //.  21,  239,  KpvTTTwviv 
hivr)(TL  /3a$€irj(riv  fx,€ya.Xrj(TL.  Snow 
and  hail  are  not  unknown  at  Rome 
in  winter,  but  an  especially  severe 
storm  might  well  pass  for  a  portent. 

—  dirae :  portentous,  with  both 
nivis  and  grandinis,  marking  them 
as  prodigia.  The  word  is  espe- 
cially used  of  things  of  bad  omen. 

—  pater :  used  absolutely,  tJie  all- 
father.  Cf.  3,  29,  43  ff.  eras  vel 
atra  \  mibe  polnm  pater  occiipato 

I  vel  sole  pure.  —  rubente  dex- 
tera :  his  red  right  hand ;  i.e. 
glowing  with  the  thunderbolt. 
Cf.  Find.  O.  9,  6  Ata  .  .  .  <J)olvl- 
KocrrepoTrav. 


3.  iaculatus :  transitive,  strik- 
ing at.  —  arcis  :  specifically  the 
two  heights  of  the  Capitnlj^^f  hill^ 
on  the  northern  one  of  which  was 
the  arx  proper,  on  the  southern 
<^hf;  t^r^pi?  Tff  Jiip'*^^*"  '^^pitolinu"  : 
hence  sacras.  However,  Horace 
may  mean  in  general  the  summits 
of  Rome's  seven  hills.  Cf.  Verg. 
G.  2,  535  septefnquennasibifnuro 
circjimdedit  arces. 

4  f .  terruit  .  .  .  terruit :  note 
the  anaphora  by  which  the  sen- 
tences are  connected.  Cf.  2,  4, 
3  ff.  serva  Briseis  niveo  colore  \ 
movit  Achillem ;  \  movit  Aiacem. 
Intr.  29.  —  gentis  :  mankind. 

6.  saeculum  Pyrrhae :  i.e.  the 
deluge   from    which    Pyrrha   with 


57 


I.  2,  7] 


HORATI 


omne  cum  Proteus  pecus  egit  altos 
visere  montis, 

piscium  et  summa  genus  haesit  ulmo, 
nota  quae  sedes  fuerat  columbis, 
et  superiecto  pavidae  natarunt 
aequore  dammae. 

Vidimus  flavum  Tiberim  retortis 
litore  Etrusco  violenterundis 


her  husband  Deucalion  alone  es- 
caped to  repeople  the  earth.  For 
the  story  see  Ovid  Met.  i,  260  ff.  — 
nova :  new,  and  therefore  strange. 

7.  omne:  of  every  sort.  —  Pro- 
teus :  the  shepherd  of  the  sea 
who  tends  Neptune's  flocks.  Cf. 
Verg.  G.  4,  395  arinenta  et  turpis 
pascit  sub  gurgite  phocas. 
'  8.  visere:  infinitive  of  purpose. 
Intr.  107.  Cf.  I,  26,  I  if.  tristitiam 
et  metus  \  tradavt  protervis  in 
mare  Creticum  \  port  are  vent  is. 

9.  summa  ulmo  :  cf.  Ovid  Met. 
1 ,  296  /lie  summa  piscem  deprendit 
in  ulmo.  The  description  may 
have  been  suggested  by  Archi- 
lochus  Frg.  74,  6  ff.  /at^Scis  iff' 
vfiwv  iiuopw  Bavfia^eTM,  \  firjB'' 
OTdv  oeA<^tcri  $ript<i  dvTa/Aeti/'wvTat 
voixov  I  evaXiov  Kai  cr<f)Lv  OaXdaarj^ 
riXiivra  Kv/xara  \  </>t'ATep'  rjireipov 
yiv-qrai,  '  No  one  among  you 
should  ever  be  surprised  at  what 
he  sees,  not  even  when  the  wild 
beasts  take  from  the  dolphins  a 
home  in  the  sea  and  the  echoing 
waves  of  the  deep  become  dearer 
to  them  than  the  firm  mainland.' 


II  f.  superiecto:  sc.terris ;  the 
whebning flood. 

13  f.  vidimus :  i.e.  with  our 
own  eyes,  in  the  period  between 
Caesar's  murder  and  the  date  of 
writing.  —  flavum  :  the  fixed  epi- 
thet of  the  Tiber.  Cf.  i,  8,  8 
air  ti?net  flavum  Tiberim  t anger e, 
and  2,3,  18  villaque,  flavus  quam 
Tiberis  lavit ;  also  Verg.  A.  7,  31 
;/iuIta  flavus  arena.  It  has  been 
adopted  by  the  modern  poets. — 
retortis  .  .  .  undis :  a  glance  at 
the  map  of  Rome  will  show  that 
the  bend  in  the  river  above  the 
island  would  naturally  throw  the 
Tiber's  stream,  in  time  of  flood, 
over  the  Velabrum  between  the 
Capitol  and  Palatine,  and  thence 
into  the  Forum  proper.  —  litore: 
abl.  of  separation,  litus  is  tre- 
quently  equivalent  to  ripa ;  e.g. 
Virg.  A.  8,  83  viridique  in  litore 
conspicit7ir  sus.  The  popular  be- 
lief, however,  seems  to  have  been, 
that  such  floods  were  caused  by 
waves  or  tides  driving  back  the 
waters  of  the  river.  Cf.  Ovid 
Fast.  6,  401  f.  hoc.  nbi  nunc  for  a 


58 


CARMINA 


[l,   2,  20 


15 


ire  deiectum  monumenta  regis 
teraplaque  Vestae, 

Iliae  dum  se  nimium  querenti 
iactat  ultorem,  vagus  et  sinistra 
labitur  ripa  love  non  probante  u- 
xorius  amnis. 


suntyudaetetiuere  paludes,  \  amne 
redundatis  fossa  madebat  aquis. 

15  f .  deiectum :  supine  of  pur- 
pose. —  monumenta  regis  :  the  Re- 
gia,  the  official  residence  of  the 
pontifex  maximus,  built  according 
to  tradition  by  Numa.  Cf.  Ovid 
Fasti  6,  263  f.  hie  locus  exiguus, 
qui  sustiuet  atria  Vestae,  \  tunc 
erat  intonsi  regia  magna  Nianae, 
and  Plut.  Nuvta  14,  iSeifJuiTo 
wKrjaiov  tov  t^s  Eorrtas  upov  ttjv 
KaXovfiev-qv,  'Prjyuiv.  — templaque 
Vestae :  at  the  foot  of  the  Pala- 
tine. For  an  account  of  the  tem- 
ple and  of  the  house  of  the  Vestal 
Virgins,  the  atrium  Vestae,  see 
Lanciani,  'Ancient  Rome  in  the 
Light  of  Recent  Discoveries,'  p. 
134  ff.  The  foundations  of  this 
temple  are  only  twenty-six  feet 
above  the  mean  level  of  the  Tiber. 
That  the  ancient  accounts  of  the 
flooding  of  the  Forum  are  not  ex- 
aggerated was  shown  by  the  flood 
of  December,  1900,  which  rose 
quite  as  high  as  the  one  Horace 
describes.  There  is  an  especial 
significance  in  the  mention  of  the 
Regia  and  the  temple  of  Vesta,  for 
they  were  both  connected  with  the 
,most  ancient  and  sacred  traditions 


of  the  Romans.  Within  the  temple 
of  Vesta  were  the  pignora  imperii 
on  whose  preservation,  it  was  be- 
lieved, the  Roman  empire's  exist- 
ence depended.  With  the  plurals 
monumenta  and  templa,  cf.  3,  27. 
75  tua  nomina  for  nomen. 

17.  Iliae:  the  mother  of  the 
twins  Romulus  and  Remus.  Hor- 
ace here,  as  in  3,  3,  32,  according 
to  Porphyrio,  follows  the  older 
tradition  represented  by  Ennius. 
This  made  Ilia  the  daughter  of 
Aeneas  and  sister  of  lulus,  from 
whom  the  Julii  derived  their  line. 
After  the  birth  of  the  twins  she 
was  thrown  into  the  Tiber  in  pun- 
ishment for  her  infidelity  to  her 
Vestal  vows,  but  was  saved  by  the 
river  god  and  became  his  wife.  — 
nimium :  with  ultorem ;  the  river 
is  over  eager  to  avenge  his  bride's 
complaints.     Cf.  uxorius,  below. 

19  f .  ripa  :  ablative  denoting 
the  route  taken,  over  the  bank. 
But  cf.  Epod.  2,  25  ripis.,  between 
the  banks.  —  u||xorius  :  Intr.  69. 
Horace  here  follows  the  example 
of  Sappho,  who  frequently  treated 
the  third  and  fourth  verses  of  this 
strophe  as  one,  e.g.  Frg.  2,  3f. 
aSu    <^C()V£u  !i  eras     viraKOi'ei ;      1 1  f . 


59 


I,  2,  2l] 


HORATI 


25 


Audiet  civis  acuisse  ferrum, 
quo  graves  Persae  melius  perirent, 
audiet  pugnas  vitio  parentum 
rara  iuventus. 

Quem  vocet  divum  populus  ruentis 
imperi  rebus  ?     Prece  qua  fatigent 
virgines  sanctae  minus  audientem 
carmina  Vestam  ? 


iTTLppofi  II  /SeLCTL  8'  oLKOvaL.  Other 
examples  in  Horace  are  i,  25,  11 
inter  ^lunia;  2,  16,  7  ve^nale. 
In  the  third  and  fourth  books 
this  is  avoided.  For  the  careful 
arrangement  of  the  words  in  18-20, 
see  Intr.  21. 

21-24.  Civil  strife  with  its  dis- 
astrous results  :  '  the  second  gen- 
eration will  hear  with  wonder  the 
story  of  their  fathers'  wanton 
wickedness.'  Notice  that  the 
strophe  forms  a  single  group  of 
words  that  must  be  understood 
as  a  whole.  Intr.  24.  By  the 
suspension  of  the  subject  of  the 
principal  verbs  u&til  the  end, 
Horace  produces  a  highly  dramatic 
effect. 

—  civis :  in  the  sense  of  fellow 
citizens,  'that  citizens  sharpened 
sword  agamst  citizens.'  —  graves 
Persate :  the  troublesome  enemies 
of  the  Romans.  Crassus' disaster 
at  Carrhae  was  still  unavenged, 
and  the  Roman  standards  had  not 
yet  been  returned.  —  perirent : 
imperfect  subj.  of  unfulfilled  obli- 
gation, ought  rather  to  have  per- 
ished. 


23  f .  vitio  parentum  rara  iu- 
ventus :  the  civil  wars  of  48-3 1 
B.C.  cost  so  many  lives  that  Italy 
did  not  recover  its  population  for 
many  generations,  if  indeed  it 
ever  did.  Cf.  Verg.  G.  i,  507  f. 
squalent  abduct  is  arva  colonis  \  et 
curvae  rigidum  fakes  conflant^ir 
in  ensem ;  also  Lucan  7,  398  f. 
crimen  civile  videmus  \  tot  vaciias 
urbes,  and  535  ff.  ^  modern 
parallel  is  the  depopulation  of 
France  by  the  Napoleonic  wars. 

25  ff .  Horace  now  turns  from 
the  portents  sent  by  the  gods,  out- 
raged at  the  nation's  crime,  to  seek 
for  some  divine  aid ;  for  against 
divine  wrath  human  resources  are 
of  no  avail.  —  ruentis  :  rushing  to 
ruin.  This  strong  word  is  a 
favorite  with  Horace.  Cf.  Epod. 
7,  I  quo,  quo  scelesti  ruitis  and  "■ 
—  rebus :  dat.  with  vocet,  call  to 
aid. — fatigent:  importune. 

27.  minus  audientem :  a  eu- 
phemistic phrase.  Vesta  turns  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  supplicating  pray- 
ers (carmina)  of  the  Virgins,  for 
she  is  offended  at  the  murder  of 
Caesar,  the  pontifcx  maximus,  who 


60 


CARMINA 


[i,  2,40 


30 


35 


40 


Cui  dabit  partis  scelus  expiandi 
luppiter  ?     Tandem  venias,  precamur, 
nube  candentis  umeros  amictus, 
augur  Apollo ; 

sive  tu  mavis,  Erycina  ridens, 
quam  locus  circum  volat  et  Cupido ; 
sive  neglectum  genus  et  nepotes 
respicis,  auctor, 

heu  nimis  Ion  go  satiate  ludo, 
quem  iuvat  clamor  galeaeque  leves 
acer  et  Marsi  peditis  cruentum 
voltus  in  hostem; 


had  charge  of  her  worship.  Cf. 
Ovid  Fast.  3,  698  f.  mens  fnit 
Hie  sacerdos.  \  sacrilegae  telis  nie 
petiere  manits.  With  minus  inti- 
mating a  negative,  cf.  Epod.  5,61  f. 
minus  \  venena  Medea  valent ; 
and  the  similar  use  of  male  i.  9. 
24  male  perthiaci. 

29.  partis  :  equivalent  to /««««i", 
a  technical  word  corresponding  to 
our  '  part '  in  play,  '  role,'  etc.  — 
scelus :    the  sin  of  fratricide. 

30.  tandem  :  '  since  prayers 
have  so  long  been  of  no  avail.' 
Cf.  neglectum  genus,  v.  35  below. 
— precamur :  parenthetical :  venias 
is  grammatically  independent  of 
it. 

31  f.  nube  .  .  .  numeros  amic- 
tus :  the  Homeric  vetjiiXr]  elXv- 
fijfidi  w/Aovs,  //•  5,  186;  for  the 
construction  of  a  middle  participle 
with  the  ace,  cf.  i,  22  stratus. 
Intr.    84. — Apollo:    for  the   sig- 


nificance of  Apollo  here,  see  intro- 
ductory note  to  this  ode. 

33  f.  sive  tu  mavis :  sc.  ve- 
nias.—  Erycina  ridens:  laughing 
'(<^tAo/i./i.£t8T;s)  qneefi  of  Eryx. — 
locus :  Mirth.,  the  Greek  Kw/aos, 
with  Cupido  the  regular  companion 
of  Venus.  Cf.  Plant.  Bacch.  113 
Amor,  Voluptas,  Venus,  Vemistas, 
Gaudiuni,  locus.  Ludus.  — circum : 
postpositive.     Intr.  33. 

35  f.  neglectum:  cf.  n.  to  v.  30. 
—  auctor:  the  appeal  is  to  Mars  as 
the  author  of  the  Roman  race. 

37.  ludo : '  the  cruel  sport  of  war." 
Cf.  2.  I,  3  ludumqiie  Fortunae. 

38  ff.  For  the  skillful  arrange- 
ment of  the  words,  see  Intr.  21. 
24. — clamor:  the  battle  shout. — 
leves :  smooth.  —  Marsi :  the  Marsi 
were  a  mountain  folk  living  in  cen- 
tral Italy,  east  of  Rome.  They  were 
noted  for  their  bravery.  Cf.  Verg. 
G.     2,     167    genus   acre    virmn. 


61 


1, 2,41] 


IIORATI 


45 


50 


sive  mutata  iuvenem  figura 
ales  in  terris  imitaris  almae 
filius  Maiae,  patiens  vocari 
Caesaris  ultor, 

serus  in  caelum  redeas  diuque 
laetus  intersis  populo  Quirini, 
neve  te  nostris  vitiis  iniquiim 
ocior  aura"  ^ 

tollat;  hie  magnos  potius  triumphos, 
hie  ames  dici  pater  atque  princeps, 


Marsos.  Appian,  B.  C.  i,  46 
has  the  proverb  ovtc  Kara  Mdp- 
crwv  ovTe  avev  M.a.p(T(x)v  ytvicrOai. 
Bpiafxfiov. 

41.  mutata  .  .  .  figura:  i.e. 
'putting  off  the  divine  for  a  liu- 
man  figure.'  —  iuvenem :  this  word 
gives  the  first  hint  of  the  point 
toward  which  Horace  has  been 
working,  that  is,  that  Octavian  is  a 
god  come  down  to  save  the  state. 

42.  imitaris:  dost  take  on  the 
form  of. 

43  f .  vocari :  dependent  on  pa- 
tiens. Intr.  108. — Caesaris  ultor : 
Octavian  declared  his  chief  object 
in  life  to  be  the  punishment  of 
Caesar's  murderers.  Sutt.  Aiig.  10 
///////  convetiientius  ducens  quam 
iiecein  aviuicnli  vindicare.  Man. 
Anc.  I ,  g  qui  parentetn  metiui  in- 
terfeceriDit.  eos  in  exiliiim  expnli 
ill  dici  is  legitimis  tdtits  corn  m  f aci- 
nus et  postea  bell  urn  inferentis  rei 
publicae  vicibis  acie,  and  also  Ovid 
Fast.  3,  709  f.  hoc  opus.:  haec  pietas, 


haec prima  elernenta  fuerunt  \  Cae- 
saris, ulcisci  iusta  per  arma  pa- 
trem. 

45  f .  This  possibly  gained  es- 
pecial significance  from  Octavian's 
sickness  in  28  B.C.  Some  years 
later  Ovid  oifered  a  similar  prayer. 
Met.  15,  868  ff.  tarda  sit  ilia  dies 
et  nostro  serior  aevo,  \  qua  caput 
Augustum,  qtiem  temper  at,  orbi 
relicto  \  accedat  caelo. 

47.  vitiis :  modifying  iniquum. 

49.  triumphos:  -i.e.  new  ant 
greater  triumphs  than  the  threi 
celebrated  in  29  B.C.  Cf.  Suet 
Aug.  22  triumphos  tris  egit,  Del 
maticum,  Actiacum,  Alexandri 
num,  continuo  triduo  omnes.  I 
triumph  over  the  troublesome  Ori 
entals  (v.  51)  was  at  this  tim 
especially  desired. 

50.  pater  atque  princeps:  Ui 
official  designations,  but  titles  0 
reverence  and  loyalty,  —  pater  a 
divine  protector,  cf.  i,  18,  6  Baccl. 
pater ;  princeps  as  the  first  citizei 


62 


CARMINA  [l,  3 

neu  sinas  Medos  equitare  inultos 
te  duce,  Caesar. 

Augustus  was  officially  named  pa-  52.  The  last  line  contains  the 

ter  patriae  in  2  B.  c.  climax  of  the  ode.     It  is  Caesar  who 

51.  Medos:    the   Orientals   are  divinely  leads  and  protects  the  state. 

Persae  (v.  22),  Medi,  or  Parthi  in-  With  the  position  of  the  last  two 

differently  in   Horace. — equitare:  \\oxd&  ci.  ^,6.  \-})i.  reddidi  carmen 

ride  on  their  raids.  docilis  modorum  \  vatis  Horati. 


y 


A  propempticon,  or  farewell  poem,  to  Vergil.  '  Ship  that  bearest  Ver- 
gil to  Greece,  deliver  him  safe,  I  pray.  (1-8.)  That  mortal  was  overbold 
who  first  dared  tempt  the  sea  (9-24) ;  of  old  man  stole  fire  from  Heaven 
and  by  that  act  brought  on  himself  disease  and  early  death  (25-33)  ; 
he  essays  the  air  itself  and  does  not  shrink  to  pass  the  very  bars  of 
Acheron  (34-36).  Nothing  is  safe  from  him;  through  pride  and  sin 
he  still  calls  down  the  wrath  of  Jove.'  Cf.  with  this  the  ill-natured 
propempticon  to  Mevius,  Epod.  10. 

Vergil's  only  voyage  to  Greece,  so  far  as  we  know,  was  in  19  B.C., 
four  years  after  the  first  three  books  of  the  Odes  were  published. 
Therefore  we  must  believe  that  a  visit  to  Athens  was  at  least  planned 
by  him  before  23  b.  c.  or  that  Horace  is  here  addressing  another 
Vergil  than  the  poet.  The  second  alternative  can  be  rejected. 
No  other  Vergil  could  have  been  called  by  Horace  animae  dimidium 
ineae  without  receiving  mention  elsewhere,  save  possibly  4,  12,  13. 
For  Horace's  relation  to  Vergil,  see  Intr.  5 ;  Sellar's  Virgil,  pp. 
120-126. 

It  is  remarkable  that  after  the  first  eight  verses  which  contain  the 
propempticon  proper,  Horace,  who  was  usually  so  tactful,  should  quickly 
revert  to  the  old  philosophical  and  theological  notions  of  the  sinfulness 
of  human  enterprise  without  observing  how  out  of  place  such  ideas  were 
here,  when  Vergil  was  just  about  to  show  such  enterprise  by  undertaking 
this  voyage. 

It  is  probable  that  the  form  of  the  propempticon  was  suggested  by  a 

^poem  of  Callimachus,  of  which  two  verses  are  preserved.     Frg.   114 

a  vav?,  a  to  [i.6vov  <f>€yyo<i  ifilv  to  yXvKv  ras  ^0«?  I  a.pird^a<i.  ttotl  tv 

Zavos  iKvev/Ltai  At)u.evoo-K07rco.  ...     '  O  ship  that  hast  snatched  from  me 

my  life's  one  sweet  light,  in  name  of  Zeus,  guardian  of  harbors,  I 

63 


0 


HORATI 


beseech."  .  .  .  Statius"  poem,  Silvae  3.  2.  is  chiefly  an  expansion  of 
Horace's  verses.  In  modern  poetry  we  may  compare  Tennyson's  verses. 
/«  Memor.  9.  'Fair  ship,  that  from  the  Italian  shore  |  Sailest  the 
placid  ocean  plains  ]  With  my  lost  Arthur's  loved  remains,  |  Spread 
thy  full  wings,  and  waft  him  o'er.'     Metre,  71. 

Sic  te  diva  potens  Cypri, 

sic  fratres  Helenae,  lucida  sidera, 

ventorumque  regat  pater, 

obstrictis  aliis  praeter  lapyga, 
5  navis,  quae  tibi  creditum 

debes  Vergilium,  finibus  Atticis 


1.  sic :  expressing  the  condition 
on  which  the  prayer  is  made :  '  on 
this  condition  may  Heaven  and  the 
winds  favor  thee,  namely,  that  thou 
deliverest  Vergil  safe.'  Here  sic 
is  expanded  in  the  optative  subj. 
reddas  and  serves.  Often  an  im- 
perative or  a  conditional  sentence 
follows.  E.g.  Epist.  I,  7,  69  f.  '■sic 
ignoz'isse  pittaio  |  t/ie  tibi,  si  cenas 
hodie  tnecum.'  Similarly  in  Eng- 
lish, e.g.  Tennyson.  In  Memor.  17, 
'  So  may  whatever  tempest  mars  | 
Mid-ocean,  spare  thee,  sacred  bark;' 
and  the  formula  in  oaths.  'So  help 
me  God.' 

—  diva  potens  Cypri:  KuTrpov 
/AtSravo-cu  I'enits  marina,  the  pro- 
tectress of  sailors.  Cf.  3,  26,  5.  g ; 
4,  II,  15.  For  the  objective  geni- 
tive with  potens,  cf.  i,  6,  10  lyrae 
musa  potens  ;  i,  5,  i^potenti  maris 
deo,  i.e.  Neptune. 

2.  Castor  and  Pollux.  It  was 
believed  that  the  presence  of  these 
two  guardians  of  sailors  was  at- 
tested by  the  electrical  phenome- 


non known  to  us  as  St.  Elmo's  fire. 
Cf.  I,  12,  27  tf. :  Lucian  Navig.  9 
((ftaaKtv  6  vavKXi]p6i  riva  Xafiirpov 
darepa  AicxrKOvpwv  tov  ercpov  im- 
Kadicrax  tw  Kap^^r/atw  Kol  Karev^'vat 
7-^v  vavv ;  Stat.  Si/v.  3,  2,  8  ff.  pro- 
ferte  benigna  \  siiiera  et  antemnae 
gemino  considite  cornu  \  Oebalii 
fratres;  and  in  English,  Macaulay. 
Regilhis.  '  Safe  comes  the  ship 
to  haven  |  Through  billows  and 
through  gales,  |  If  once  the  great 
Twin  Brethren  |  Sit  shining  on  the 
sails.'  On  coins  a  star  is  repre- 
sented over  the  head  of  each  of 
the  heroes. 

3  f .  ventorum . . .  pater :  Aeolus, 
who  is  Od.  10,  21  TafiCijs  dvep.wv. 
—  lapyga:  the  wind  blowing  from 
the  west  or  northwest  across 
lapygia,  as  Apulia  was  ancientl\ 
called,  was  favorable  for  voyages 
to  Greece. 

5  ff.  Vergil  is  like  a  treasure  in- 
trusted to  the  ship,  and  therefore 
owed  by  it.  Note  the  emphasis  on 
Vergilium  before   the   caesura. — 


64 


CARMINA 


[i,  3.  i6 


15 


reddas  incolumem  precor 

et  serves  animae  dimidium  meae. 
Illi  robur  et  aes  triplex 

circa  pectus  erat,  qui  fragilem  truci 
commisit  pelago  ratem 

primus,  nee  timuit  praecipitem  Africum 
decertantem  Aquilonibus 

nee  tristis  Hyadas  nee  rabiem  Noti, 
quo  non  arbiter  Hadriae 

maior,  toUere  seu  ponere  volt  freta. 


finibus:  dat.  with  reddas,  deliver. 
—  animae  dimidium  meae :  a  pro- 
verbial expression  of  affection.  Cf. 
2,  17,  5  te  tneae  partem  atiimae; 
Meleager  Attth.  Pal.  12,  52  Notos, 
a»  8va€p<i}Tt<;,  \  ijfiLcrv  fxev  i/'v^^Ss 
a.p7ra(T€v  AvBpdyaOov. 

9  ff.  Horace  now  turns  to  re- 
flections on  the  rash  presumption 
of  mankind  that  seem  to  us  ex- 
travagant ;  but  man's  attempt  to 
subdue  the  sea  may  well  have 
been  thought  impious  in  a  primi- 
tive age.  These  verses  reflect 
this  ancient  feeling.  See  intr.  n. 
Cf.  Soph.  Antig.  332  fT.  ttoAAci  to. 
oiiva,  KOvBkv  avOpioTTOv  Setvortpov 
Trekei-  |  tovto    koI    ttoXlov   iripav 

TTOVTOV  )(iLIXepL(0  VOTil)  \  X'^P^^'  ""Cpt- 
lipV)(lOLaiV     I     TTtpW     VTt'     oihpXKTLV. 

'  Wonderful  things  there  are  many, 
and  yet  none  more  wonderful  than 
man.  This  marvelous  creature, 
driven  by  the  stormy  south  wind, 
crosseth  even  the  gray  sea,  pass- 
ing half  buried  through  the  wave 
that  would  ingulf  him.' 

—  robur  et  aes  triplex :    trans- 

HOK.  CAR.  —  5 


lated  by  Herrick  'A  heart  thrice 
wall'd  with  Oke,  and  brasse,  that 
man  |  Had,  first,  durst  plow  the 
Ocean.'  Horace  was  imitated  by 
Seneca  Med.  301  ff.  aitdax tiimium 
qui  freta  primus  \  rate  tarn  fra- 
gili  perfida  rupit  \  terrasque  suas 
post  terga  videns  \  animam  lexn- 
biis  credidit  auris. 

12  f.  praecipitem  Africum  :  the 
headlong  Afric  wind,  the  Sirocco  ; 
called  Epod.  16,  22  protervus. — 
Aquilonibus:  dative;  cf.  i,  15 
luctantem  Icariis  fluctibus  Afri- 
cum. 

14.  tristis  Hyadas :  bringing 
rain  and  so  •  gloomy .■"  Cf.  Verg. 
A.  3,  ^16  plinnasque  Hyadas,  and 
of  the  Auster  (Notus)  G.  3,  279 
pluvio  centrist  at  frigore  caelum. 
—  Noti :  equivalent  to  Auster. 

15.  arbiter :  ruler ;  cf.  3,  3, 
5  Auster  \  dux-  inquieti  turbidus 
Hadriae. 

16.  ponere  :  equivalent  to  com- 
ponere.  Observe  the  use  of  the 
single  seu  in  an  alternative  state- 
ment. 


65 


1.3.  17] 


HORATI 


25 


Quern  mortis  timuit  gradum, 

qui  siccis  oculis  ,monstra  natantia, 
qui  vidit  mare  turb'idum  et 

infarais  scopulos  Acroceraunia  ? 
Nequiquam  deus  absCidit 

prudens  Oceano  dissociabili 
terras,  si  tamen  im^iae 

non  tangenda  rates  transiliurit  vada. 
Audax  omnia  perpeti 

gens  humana  ruit  per  vetitum  nefas. 
Audax  lapeti  genus 

ignem  fraude  mala  gentibus  intulit. 


17.  mortis  .  .  .  gradum :  for 
the  conception  of  death  as  stalk- 
ing abroad  and  pursuing  men, 
cf.  V.  33  below;  i,  4,  13;  3,  2, 
14. 

18.  siccis  oculis :  i.e.  '■  unter- 
rified.'  A  man  who  is  not 
moved  by  the  awful  terrors  of 
the  sea,  lacks  all  reverence  for 
Heaven's  power  and  is  prepared 
to  defy  the  very  gods.  Cf.  Mil- 
ton, '  Sight  so  deform  what  heart 
of  oak  could  long  ]  Dry  eyed  be- 
hold?' 

20.  Acroceraunia  :  the  long 
promontory  on  the  northwest  of 
Epirus,  which  had  an  ill  repute 
(infamis  scopulos)  with  sailors 
because  of  the  number  of  ship- 
wrecks there. 

21  f.  nequiquam:  emphatic,  in 
vain  it  is  that,  etc. — prudens: 
in  his  wise  providence.  —  dissocia- 
bili :  estranging ;  active  as  i .  i ,  5 
nobilis. 


23  f .  impiae  .  .  .  rates :  the 
ships  are  reckless  of  Heaven's 
displeasure,  since  they  bound  over 
the  water  which  God  has  ordained 
should  not  be  touched  (non  tan- 
genda .  .   .  vada). 

25  ff.  Three  examples  of  hu- 
man recklessness  follow  the  gen- 
eral statement :  the  theft  of  fire 
(27-33),  Daedalus'  attempt  on 
the  air  (34  f.),  Hercules'  invasion 
of  Hades  (36). — audax  ...  au- 
dax: emphatic  anaphora,  Intr. 
28c. — perpeti:  dependent  on  au- 
dax. Intr.  108.  — ruit:  rushes  at 
random,  characterizing  the  reck- 
lessness of  man,  as  iransiliunt 
does  in  v.  24. — vetitum:  sc.  a 
diis. 

27.  lapeti  genus  :  Prometheus. 
Cf.  Hes.  Op.  50  ff.  Kpv^f.  8«  irvp  ■ 
TO  [lev  avTL'i  eiis  Trais  laTreTOio  \ 
€KXet/''  av6po)Trot<n  Aios  Trapa. 
firjTLoevTO'i  1  €v  KotXoj  vdpdrjKt, 
XaOiiiv    Atix    TepiriKepavvov.      For 


66 


CARxMINA 


[I,  3.  38 


30 


35 


Post  ignem  aetheria  domo 

subductum  macies  ej:  nova  febrium 
terris  incubuit  cohors,^ 

semotique  prius  tarda  necessitas 
leti  corripuit  gradum. 

Expertus  vacuum  Daedalus  aera 
pennis  non  homini  datis  ; 

perrupit  Acheronta  Herculeus  labor. 
Nil  mortalibus  ardui  est ; 

caelum  ipsum  petimus  stultitia,  neque 


genus,  equivalent  to  •  child/  '  de- 
scendant/ cf.  S.  2,  5,  63,  ad  alto 
deinissum  genus  Aenea,  i.e.  Oc- 
tavian ;  and  collectively  of  the 
Danaids,  C.  2, 14,  1%  Danai getius. 
29  ff.  post  ignem  .  .  .  sub- 
ductum :  after  the  theft  of;  sub- 
ductum is  equivalent  to  siibreptum. 

—  macies  et  nova  febrium  .  .  . 
cohors :  the  legend  has  been  pre- 
served to  us  by  Serv.  ad  Verg. 
E.  6,  42  {ob  Promethei  furtmn) 
irati  di  duo  mala  immiseruni  ter- 
ris, febres  et  morbos;  sicut  et 
Sappho    et  Hesiodus   memorant. 

—  incubuit :  brooded  over.  Cf. 
Lucr.  6,  1 143  (he  is  speaking  of 
sickness),  incubuit  tandetn  populo 
Pandionis  omnei. 

32  f .  Note  the  cumulative  force 
of  semoti  and  tarda :  '  inevitable 
death  was  far  removed  and  slow 
in  its  approach.'  Before  Pandora 
came  men  lived,  according  to 
Hesiod  Op.  90  ff.  Trpwr/v  \xkv 
gtaecTKov  iirl  x^ovl  (ftvX'  av6p(t)Trwv 

I   v6(T<f)l.V    a.T€p     T£     KUKOiV    KOL    aT€p 


67 


^oAtTroTo  TTOVOio,  I  vovawv  t  apya- 
Ae'wv,  aiT    dvbpdcrt    Krfp3.<i    eSwKav- 

—  prius :    with    both    semoti  and 
tarda.     Inlr.  100. 

—  necessitas   leti :     the    Homeric 
Motpa  OavdroLO. 

34  f.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  14  f. 
Daedalus,  ut  fama  est,  fugiens 
Minoia  regna,  \  praepetibus  pennis 
ausus  se  credere  caelo. — non  .  .  . 
datis :  i.e.  non  concessis,  imply- 
ing that  wings  were  forbidden 
man. 

36.  perrupit :  for  the  quantity, 
see  Intr.  35.  — Herculeus  labor: 
for  the  use  of  the  adjective,  cf.  2, 
12,  6  Herculea  manu  and  the 
Homeric  ^i-r]  'HpaKkeirj. 

37.  ardui:  steep  and  hard, 
modifying  nil.  Cf.  Petron.  87 
nihil  est  tain  arduum,  quod  non 
improbitas  extorqucat. 

38.  In  his  blind  folly  man 
attempts  to  emulate  the  Giants, 
who  with  brute  force  tried  to 
storm  the  citadel  of  Heaven.  Cf. 
3,  4,  49-60,  65,  and  nn. 


I,  3.  39]  HORATI 

per  nostrum  patimur  scelus 
40  iracunda  lovem  ponere  fulmina. 

40.    iracunda  .  .  .  fulmina:  the  ciinda  classis  Achillei ;   Epod.  10, 

transference   of  an    epithet   from  14  impiam  Aiacis  ratein.      Intr. 

the  person  to  the  action  or  thing  99. 

is  not  uncommon.     Cf.   i,   12,  59  — ponere:     equivalent    to    de- 

inhnica  fidmina ;   i,    15,    33   ira-  ponere. 


L 

'  The  earth  is  freed  from  winter's  thrall ;  Venus  leads  her  bands, 
the  Nymphs  and  Graces  dance;  Vulcan  stirs  his  fires  (1-8).  Now 
crown  thy  head  with  myrtle  and  with  flowers,  now  sacrifice  to  Faunus. 
Life  is  glad  and  lures  one  on  to  hope  (9-12).  But  Death  is  near  at 
hand,  my  Sestius ;  to-morrow  Pluto's  dreary  house  will  shut  thee  in  : 
no  delight  in  wine  or  love  is  there  (13-20).' 

/  To  L.  Sestius  Quirinus,  probably  a  son  of  the  P.  Sestius  whom 
nlHcero  defended.  He  was  a  partisan  of  Brutus,  and  very  likely  Hor- 
ace's acquaintance  with  him  began  with  the  time  of  their  service 
together  in  Brutus'  army.  Later  Sestius  accepted  the  new  order 
of  things  without  giving  up  his  loyalty  to  Brutus'  memory,  and  was 
appointed  consul  suffectus_  (July-December,  23  B.C.)  by  Augustus. 
Cf.  Dio  Cass.  53,  32. 

Few  of  the  odes  are  more  skillfully  planned.  The  underlying 
thought  is  one  expressed  by  Horace  in  many  forms:  *  the  world  js 
gleasant  and  oflfers  many  joys;  take  them  while  you  may,  for  death 
is  near.'  With  this  Book  4,  Ode  7  ^ibuTd  be  TOttipared.  The  verses 
are  apparently  based  on  a  Greek  model,  possibly  the  same  as  that 
of  Silentarius  in  the  Anth.  Pal.  10,  15;  or  did  Silentarius  follow 
Horace?  i^Sr;  \ikv  ^t^vpotai  fitfivKora  koKitov  avoiyu  \  €Lapo<;  ^vXtL/xiDv 
diX^LVooio  X*P'5 '  1  tt/OTi  8e  SovpaTeoicriv  iTroiTrXiaOrjcre  KvXivSpoi^  \  oAkois 
OLTT  Tjiovwv  is  ^vOov  iXKOfiivT).  'Now  the  grace  of  charming  spring 
which  brings  back  fair  meadows  opens  the  bay  that  roars  under  Zephy- 
rus'  blasts.  Only  yesterday  did  the  merchantman  glide  on  the  rollers, 
drawn  down  from  the  land  to  the  deep.'  The  date  of  composition 
is  uncertain,  but  cf.  v.  14  and  n.  which  may  fix  the  date  at  23  n.c. 
/The  position  here  gives  Sestius,  who  was  consul  in  23,  the  fourth 
place  in  honor  after  Maecenas,  Augustus,  and  Vergil.      Metre,  81. 

68 


a,^-^- 


^r 


Ji>^ 


CARMINA 


[i,4.  6 


Solvitur  acris  hiems  grata  vice  veris  et  Favoni, 

trahuntque  siccas  machinae  carinas, 
ac  neque  iam  stabulis  gaudet  pecus  aut  arator  igni, 
^^(nec  prata  cajiis^lbicant  prjaini^ji 
lam  Cythersa-choros  ducit  Venus  imminente  luna, 

iunctaeque  Nymphis  Gratiae  decentes 


1.  solvitur  .  .  .  hiems:  'the 
fetters  of  winter  are  broken.'  Cf. 
I,  9,  5  dissolve  fn'giis,  and  the 
opposite  Verg.  6^.  2,  317  rura  gelu 
claudit  hiems.  —  vice:  succession. 
So  Epod.  13,  7  benigna  .  .  .  vice. 
Note  the  alliteration  in  vice  veris  et 
Favoni',  cf.  v.  13.  —  Favoni:  the 
harbinger  of  spring  {Zephynis^. 
Cf.  Lucret.  5,  737  veris  praennn- 
tiiis  .  .   .  graditnr  Zephyr  us. 

2.  siccas :  from  their  winter 
position,  high  on  the  shore. 

3ff.  The  whole  world  feels  the 
pleasant  change  — the  beasts,  man. 
and  the  very  divinities  them- 
selves. 

5  f.  The  contrast  between  Ve- 
nus and  her  band  of  Nymphs  and 
Graces  on  the  one  side  with  glow- 
ing Vulcan  and  his  workmen  on 
the  other  is  carefully  planned. 
Venus  is  here  the  goddess  of  re- 
generation, at  whose  coming  the 
world  wakes  into  life.  Cf.  Lucret. 
I.  5  ff.  te,  dea,  te  fugiunt  venti.  te 
nubila  caeli  \  advent  unique  tuuni., 
tibi  siiavis  daedala  tellus  \  sub  mitt  it 
fiores,  tibi  rident  aequora  ponti  \ 
placatumque  nitet  diffusa  himine 
caelutn. 

—  Cytherea :  of  Cythera.  For 
this  use  of  a  local  adjective  modi- 


fying the  name  of  a  divinity,  cf.  3. 
4,  64  Delius  et  Pat  are  us  Apollo. 

—  choros  ducit :  the  concept  is 
probably  borrowed  from  the  Horn. 
Hymn  to  Apollo,  194  ff.  avrap 
ivirXoKafMOi  XapiTts    kul  iv(f>pov€<; 

Opat  I  Apfiovirj  6  "aprj  re  Atos 
dvydrrjp  t  A<j>pooLTr]  |  6p)(€vvT 
dXXyXwv  CTTt  KapirQ  )(e'ip.i<;'€)(ov<Tai.. 

—  imminente  luna :  the  night 
when  no  mortals  are  abroad,  is 
the  gods'  favorite  time  to  visit  the 
earth.  Cf.  Stat.  Silv.  i,  i,94f.  j-«<^ 
node  silenti,  \  cum  superis  terrena 
placent.  —  iunctae,  etc. :  hand  in 
hand;  cf.  4,  7,  5f.  Gratia  cum 
Nymphis  geminisque  sororibus 
audet  I  ducere  ntida  choros.  — Gra- 
tiae :  Seneca  de  Bene/,  i,  3  has 
given  us  an  accurate  description 
of  the  regular  representation  of 
the  Graces  in  early  painting  and 
sculpture,  tres  Gratiae  sorores 
manibus  implexis,  ridentes,  iuve- 
nes  et  virgines,  soluta  ac  pellucida 
ve.<!te ;  in  later  art  they  are  rep- 
resented as  nude,  with  their  arms 
about  one  another's  shoulders. 
Cf.  Baumeister,  pp.  375-6.  —  de- 
centes :  comely ;  the  word  is  trans- 
ferred to  English  poetry,  e.g. 
Milton  //  Pens.  •  Over  thy  de- 
cent shoulders  drawn.' 


69 


I.  4.  7] 


HO  RATI 


"P^" 


'5 


alterno  terram  quatiunt  pede,  dum  gravis  Cyclopum 

Volcanus  ardens  visit  officinas*- 
1  Nunc  decet  aut  viridi  nitidum  caput  impedire  myrto, 
I     aut  flore  terrae  quern  ferunt  solutae  ; 
nunc  et  in  umbrosis  Fauno  decet  immolare  lucis, 

seu  poscat  agna  sive  malit  haedo.  t>^^i  ^  ' 
Pallida  mors  aequo  _pulsat  ^ede  pauperufn  tabernas 

regumque  turris.     O  beate  Sesti, 
vitae  summa  brevis  spem  nos  vetat  incohare  longam. 

lam  te  premet  nox  fabulaeque  manes 


7.  alterno  .  . .  quatiunt  pede  :  /.e. 
in  rhythmic  dance;  cf.  i,  27'  i 
//?tnc  est  hibendiini,  nunc  pede 
libera  \  pulsatida  tellus.  —  gravis  : 
equivalent  to  labortosas,  toilsome. 

—  ardens:  'glowing  in  the  light 
of  the  fire.'  Some  editors  prefer 
to  regard  it  as  a  transferred  epithet 
which  would  naturally  belong  to 
officinas  :  with  the  verse,  cf.  Apoll. 
Rhod.  3,  41  aXk  b  /Acv  €?  yaXKfMva. 
Ktti  a/c/xovas  ripi  ^f.^y]KU. 

gf.  nitidum:  shining,  with  un- 
guent ;  cf.  2,  7,  7  nitentis . . .  capillos. 

—  caput  impedire  myrto  :  entivine. 
Cf.  Stat.  Silv.  4,  3,  68  crinem 
niollibus  impeditus  ulvis.  —  ter- 
rae .  .  .  solutae:    cf.   v.  i,  above. 

II f.  Fauno:  the  kindly  god  of 
Nature  whose  festival  fell  on  Feb. 
12.  — agna  .  .  .  haedo  :  instrumen- 
tal abl. 

13.  Note  the  p  five  times  re- 
peated. —  pulsat  pede  :  for  the  cus- 
tom of  knocking  with  the  foot,  cf 
Plant.  Most.  453  piilsando  pedi- 
btis  paene  confregi  hasce  ambas 
(^fores),   also    Callim.    Hymn    to 


Apollo,   3    KCLL    SrJTTOv    TO.  dvperpa 
KaAw  TTOdl  «JotySos  dpdcraci. 

14.  turris  :  the  houses  of  the 
great  (regum)  with  many  stories, 
in  contrast  to  the  one-story  dwell- 
ings (tabernas)  of  the  poor.  — 
beate  :  blessed  by  Fortune ;  with 
almost  concessive  force.  Some 
wish  to  see  in  this  word  a  refer- 
ence to  Sestius'  consulship. 

15.  summa  brevis  :  brie/  span. 
—  incohare:  used  properly,  as  here, 
of  entering  on  an  undertaking  that 
cannot  be  fulfilled.  Cf.  Sen.  Epist. 
1 01,  4  o  quanta  dementia  est  spes 
longas  incohantium. 

16  f .  iam :  presently.  With  the 
future  iatn  often  expresses  confi- 
dence in  the  result :  cf.  2,  20,  I3f. 
ia)n  Daedaleo  notior  Icaro  \  visam 
gementis  liter  a  Bosphori.  —  fabu- 
lae :  in  apposition  with  manes,  th^ 
spirits  of  the  dead.  The  phrase  W 
imitated  by  Pers.  5,  151  f.  cinis  ft 
manes  etfabidafies;  cf.  also  Calliin. 
Epig.  1 3,  3  f.  w  ^api8ci.  TL  TO.  vepde  ; 
iroXv  (tk6to<;.  at  K  avoBoi  ti  ;  \  tf/ev-  , 
80s.    o  Se  YLXovToiv ;  fji.v6o<;.   aTrtuAo- 


70 


CARMINA 


[1.5.4 


et  domus  exilis  Plutonia  ;  quo  simul  mearis,      ^/^^ 

nee  regna  vini  sortiere  talis 
nee  tenerum^Lyeidan  mirabere,  quo  calet  iuventus 
20        nunc  omnis  et  mox  virgines  tepebunt. 


\jL(Qa.  '  Charidas,  what  is  below  ? 
Deep  darkness.  But  what  of  the 
passages  upward ?  All  a  lie.  But 
Fluto?  Only  talk.  Then  we're  lost.' 

—  exilis:    unsubstantial,   dreary. 

—  simul :  equivalent  to  simul  ac, 
as  regularly  in  Horace. 

18 ff.  In  the  last  three  verses 
Horace  calls  back  the  pleasure  of 
wine  and  love,  and  reminds  his 
friend  that  he  must  enjoy  these 
delights    while    he   may.     Death 


will  soon  deprive  him  of  them.  — 
regna  vini :  the  presidency  of  .rtie 
drinking  bout  was  determined  by 
lot  or  by  dice.  Cf.  n.  to  2,  7,  25 
quern  Venus  arbitrwn  dicet  bi- 
bendi?  —  talis  :  properly  '  knuckle 
bones '  which  would  ordinarily  fall 
on  the  longer  sides  ;  the  highest 
throw  (iactus  Veneris)  was  when 
each  rested  on  a  different  side.  — 
Lycidan :  a  name  invented  for 
the  occasion. 


^ 


To  a  coquette :  '  What  slender  innocent  enjoys  thy  smiles  to-day, 
Pyrrha?  Alas,  he  does  not  yet  suspect  that  thou  art  fickle  as  the  sea; 
thy  smile  lures  on  his  love  to  shipwreck.  Thank  Heaven  I  escaped  :  in 
Neptune's  temple  1  hang  my  dripping  clothes  as  votive  gift.' 

The  perfected  simplicity  of  this  ode  can  best  be  tested  by  an  attempt 
to  alter  or  transpose  a  word,  or  by  translation.  Even  Milton's  well- 
known  version  is  inadequate.     Metre,  73. 

Quis  multa  gracilis  te  piier  in  rosa 
perfusus  liquidis  urget  odoribus 
grato,  Pyrrha,  sub  antro  } 
Cui  flavam  religas  comam, 


I  f .  gracilis  .  .  .  puer :  stripling. 
—  multa  ...  in  rosa  :  lying  on 
many  a  rose;  as  in  Sen.  Epist. 
36,  9  in  rosa  iacere.  Cf.  also 
Eleg.  in  Maec.  i,  94  f.  victor  poti- 
atur  in  umbra.  \  victor  odorata 
dormiat  inque  rosa  ;  Cic.  de  Fin. 


2.  65  potantem  in  rosa.  —  urget : 
courts. 

3  f .  Pyrrha  :  Ylvppd,  a  fictitious 
name,  '  the  auburn  haired ' ;  cf. 
flavam.  —  religas  :  i.e.  in  a  simple 
knot.  Cf.  2,  II,  23  in  comptutn 
Lacaenae  \  more   comam   religata 


71 


».5.  5] 


HORATI 


simplex  munditiis  ?     Heu  quotiens  fidem 
mutatosque  deos  flebit  et  aspera 
nigris  aequora  ventis 
emirabitur  insolens, 

qui  nunc  te  fruitur  credulus  a  urea, 
qui  semper  vacuam,  semper  amabilem 
sperat,  nescius  aurae 
fallacis.     Miseri  quibus 


1 


nodum.  With  the  question,  cf. 
Antk.  Pal.  5,  227  eiTre  tlvl  TrXe^eis 
Itl  l36aTpv)(ov,  7)  TLVi  )({.Lpa<i  I  cf>ai- 
Sjouvctis  ovv^wv  afJi(f)iTefHi)v  aKioa ; 
'  Tell  me  for  whom  wilt  thou  still 
dress  thy  curling  locks,  or  for  whom 
wilt  thou  make  fair  thy  hands  and 
trim  thy  nails'  sharp  points  ?  '  (i.e. 
so  that  they  may  not  be  used  to 
scratch  in  case  of  a  quarrel  between 
thee  and  thy  new  lover.  Cf.  v.  17  f. 
of  the  following  ode) . 

5  f .  simplex  munditiis  :  p/a/n  in 
thy  neatness  (Milton),  munditia 
denotes  a  natural  beauty  and  ele- 
gance that  is  unadorned ;  Pyrrha 
has  chosen  studied  simplicity  in 
dress.  —  fidem  :  sc.  nmtatam  from 
the  following  mutatos ;  therefore 
equivalent  \.o  perfidia7>i.,  as  the  con- 
text shows.  —  mutatos  deos:  i.e. 
adversos :  cf.  Prop,  i,  i,  8  aim 
tamen  adversos  cogor  habere  deos. 

7.  nigris :  belonging  naturally 
with  aequora,  as  '  darkened '  by  the 
gusts  of  wind,  but  here  transferred 
to  ventis;  cf.  i,  3,  40,  iracunda 
fubnina.  Intr.  99.  The  com- 
parison of  a  coquette  to  the  sea  is 
very  old.    Cf  Semonides  of  Amor- 


gos,  Frg.  7,  37  ff.  (lidTTtp  OaXxiaaa 
TToAAoiKts  /x.ei/  d.Tpep.ri<i  \  earrjK  airrj- 
/xwv,  xdppxL  vavTrj<TLv  /u.eya,  |  9ep€OS 
iv  (oprj,  TToAAaKis  Se  puxLverai  \  /8a- 
pvKTVTTOiarL  Kvfjuaaiv  (f>opevfji.€vr].  \ 
ravT-q  fidXicTT  lotKC  TOLavrrj  yvvq. 
'  As  the  sea  ofttimes  is  motionless 
and  harmless,  a  mighty  joy  to  sail- 
ors in  the  summer  season,  and  yet 
ofttimes  doth  rage,  driven  to  and  fro 
with  loud  roaring  billows.  This  sea 
it  is  that  such  a  woman  is  most  like.' 

8.  emirabitur  :  found  only  here 
in  classical  Latin.  The  prefix  is 
intensive.  Cf.  the  Greek  eV^au- 
fxAt,uv.  —  insolens  :  used  here  in  its 
original  meaning  of  nnaccnstomed, 
poor  innocent. 

9.  credulus  aurea :  note  the 
force  of  the  juxtaposition  ;  cf  i,  6, 
10  ten  lies  grandia.  —  aurea  :  a 
common  designation  of  perfection  ; 
cf.  the  Homeric  ^(pvaiy]  'A^poStV?;. 
In  present-day  English  it  is  seldom 
applied  to  persons,  but  cf.  Shak- 
spere,  Cynibeline,  4,  2  '  Golden 
lads  and  girls  all  must  |  As  chim- 
ney sweepers,  come  to  dust.' 

10  f.  vacuam ;  fancy  free,  to  all 
the  world  but  him. — aurae:    re- 


72 


CARMINA  [I,  6 

intemptata  nites  :  me  tabula  sacer 
votiva  paries  indicat  uvida 
15  suspendisse  potenti 

vestimenta  maris  deo. 

turning  to  the  metaphor  of  v.  6f. ;  to  Neptune,  Isis,  or  other  divinity. 

ci.  y  2,20  arbitriopopularisaurae.  Cf.    Verg.    A.    12,    766    ff.  forte 

13.    intemptata      nites :      still  sacer  Fauno  foliis  oleaster  atnaris  \ 

keeping  up  the  figure  of  the  glit-  hie  steterat,  naiitis  olim  venerabile 

tering  sea,  untried  and   treacher-  lignum,    \    servati   ex   undis   tibi 

ous.     Cf.  Lucret.    2,  559  snbdola  figere   dona    solebant    \    Later enti 

cum  ridet  placidi  pellacia  ponti.  divo  et  votas   suspender e   vestes. 

—  tabula  sacer,  etc. :    the  ancient  For    votive     oiTering    of    various 

custom  of  dedicating  in  the  shrine  sorts,      see      Schreiber's     Atlas, 

of  a  divinity  a  picture  (tabula)  can  pi.    15. 

still  be  seen    in   Roman  Catholic  — potenti  .  .  .  maris   deo:    cf.    i, 

churches,    especially    in    Europe.  3,  i    diva   potens    Cypri;    6,    10 

Shipwrecked     sailors     sometimes  imbellisque    lyrae    Mtisa  potens ; 

hung  up  the  garments  in   which  and  Plant.  Trin.  820  salsipotenti 

they  had  been  saved  as  offerings  .  .  .  Neptuno. 


'Varius,  who  vies  with  Homer,  shall  sing  thy  exploits,  Agrippa. 
The  deeds  of  heroes  and  tragic  themes  are  all  too  great  for  my  weak 
powers ;  I  will  not  detract  from  Caesar's  fame  and  thine.  Only  wine 
and  lovers'  quarrels  are  suited  to  my  verse.' 

Addressed  to  M.  Vipsanius  Agrippa,  Augustus'  'Minister  of  War' 
and  greatest  general ;  he  defeated  Sextus  Pompey  at  Naulochus,  36  B.C., 
and  was  commander  at  Actium,  31  B.C.  Apparently  Agrippa,  or 
Agrippa's  friends,  had  suggested  to  Horace  that  he  celebrate  the  gen- 
eral's exploits  in  verse.  This  ode  is  Horace's  skillful  apology  and  should 
be  compared  with  similar  expressions,  2,  12;  4.  2,  27ff.  ;  S.  2,  i.  12; 
Epist.  2,  I,  250 ff.  In  each  case,  however,  while  declaring  his  unfitness 
for  the  task,  he  describes  deeds  of  war,  yet  briefly,  not  in  an  elabo- 
rate poem.  Here  by  his  manner  of  declining,  he  pays  Agrippa  the 
highest  tribute  as  well  as  compliments  his  friend  Varius.  The  date 
of  composition  is  after  29  B.C.,  when  Agrippa  returned  from  the  East. 
Metre,  72. 

73 


I.  6,  I] 


HORATI 


Scriberis  Vario  fortis  et  hostium 
victor  Maeonii  carminis  alite, 
quam  rem  cumque  ferox  navibus  aut  equis 
miles  te  duce  gesserit. 

Nos,  Agrippa,  neque  haec  dicere  nee  gravem 
Pelidae  stomachum  cedere  nescii 


I .  scriberis  :  expressing  assur- 
ance ;  different  from  laudabunt 
alii  of  the  following  ode,  which  is 
equivalent  to  others  may  praise  (if 
they  wish).  The  real  subject  of 
the  verb  is  '  thy  brave  deeds 
and  victories,'  (/«)  fortis  et  hos- 
tium victor.  —  Vario :  frequently 
taken  as  abl.  abs.  with  alite  to 
avoid  the  apparent  solecism  of 
the  abl.  of  agent  without  ab.  This 
is  as  unnecessary  as  to  change 
alite  to  the  dat.  aliti.  For  the 
abl.  of  agent  without  ab,  cf.  Epist. 
I,  19,  2  carmina  .  .  .quae  scri- 
buntur  aquae  potoj-ibus .    I  ntr.  96. 

Lucius  Varius  Rufus  was  the  in- 
timate friend  of  Horace  and  Vergil. 
With  Plotius  Tucca  he  was  the 
latter's  literary  executor,  and  at 
Augustus'  command  published  the 
Aeneid  in  17  B.C. ;  before  the  pub- 
lication of  the  Aeneid  he  was  reck- 
oned the  chief  epic  poet  of  the 
period.  S.  i,  \o,  \t^{.  forte  epos 
acer  \  ut  neuio  Varius  dticit.  His 
posthumous  fame,  however,  seems 
to  have  been  based  on  his  trage- 
dies, especially  his  Thyestes. 
Quint.  10,  I,  98,  Varii  Thyestes 
cuilibet  Graecarum  co>?iparari 
potest.     He  brought  out  this  play 


not  long  after  3 1  B.C.,  according  to 
the  didascalia,  Thyesten  tragoediam 
magna  cur  a  absolutam  post  Actia- 
cam  victoriam  August i  ludis  eius 
in  scena  edidit.  Fro  qua  fabula 
sestertium  deciens  accepit. 

2.  Maeonii  carminis  alite:  i.e. 
the  equal  of  Homer,  who,  according 
to  tradition,  was  born  at  Smyrna 
in  Lydia,  anciently  called  Maeonia; 
cf.  4,  9,  5  Maeonius  Homerus.  — 
alite  :  for  '  bird  '  in  the  sense  of 
'poet,'  cf  4,  2,  25  Dircaeum  .  .  . 
cycnum  of  Pindar,  and  2,  20  entire. 

3.  quam  rem  cumque:  this 
tmesis  is  common  in  Horace  {eg. 
I,  7,  25  quo  nos  cumque  feret  .  .  . 
/ortuna)  and  not  unknown  in 
prose :  Cic.  pro  Sest.  68  quod 
iudicium  cumque  subierat. 

5  ff.  With  the  following,  cf. 
the  Anacreontic  verses  23  ^e'Aw 
\kyuv  ATpeiSa.<;,  \  6i\(o  8k  K.d8fxov 
aSeiv  I  a  (ia.ppi.TO<i  8i  -xpphais  \ 
epwra  fiovvov  "flX^-  —  ^^^  '•  ^he 
plural  of  modesty,  so  v.  17  below. 
The  singular  of  the  first  person 
is  ordinarily  used  in  the  lyric 
poems,  the  plural  being  found 
only  here  and  2,  17,  32  ;  3,  28,  9 ; 
Epod.  1,5.  For  the  emphatic  posi- 
tion,  see   Intr.   22.  —  haec:    'thy 


74 


CARMINA 


[I,  6,  14 


nec  cursus  duplicis  per  mare  Vlixei 
nee  saevam  Pelopis  domum 

conamur,  tenues  grandia,  dum  pudor 
imbellisque  lyrae  musa  potens  vetat 
laudes  egregii  Caesaris  et  tuas 
culpa  deterere  ingeni. 

Quis  Martem  tunica  tectum  adamantina 
digne  scripserit  aut  pulvere  Troico 


exploits,'  taking  up  quam  rem 
.  .  .  gesserit,  above.  —  dicere : 
sing,  in  contrast  to  scribere,  v.  i, 
used  of  epic  composition.  Cf. 
loqui  2,,  25,  18.  —  gravetn  Pelidae 
stomachum :  i.e.  the  Iliad;  II.  i, 
I  \t.r\viv  aetSe,  ^ea,  Ilr/Ar/iaSeo) 
'A^iA^os- — cedere  nescii :  Intr. 
108.  Cf.  Verg.  ^.  12, S27,nesda 
vinci  pectora. 

7.  cursus  duplicis  .  .  .  Vlixei : 
the  Odyssey ;  Od.  1 ,  i  avBpa  /xol 
IvveTTC,  Movcra,  TroXvrpoTrov,  bs 
fidXa  TToAAo,  I  TrXdyxOr)-  Horace 
humorously  shows  his  own  unfit- 
ness for  epic  song  by  translating 
/i^vts  by  stomachus,  di/e,  and 
TToXirrpoTTos  by  duplex,  wi/y.  — 
Vlixei :  from  a  (non-existent) 
nominative  Vlixeits,  formed  after 
the     Sicilian     dialectic     OvXC^-q'i, 

8.  saevam  Pelopis  domum :  Tan- 
talus, Pelops.  Atreus,  Thyestes, 
Agamemnon,  Orestes,  etc.  The 
bloody  history  of  this  house  was 
a  favorite  tragic  theme ;  we  have 
still  extant  /Eschylus'  Trilogy, 
Sophocles'      Electro,     Euripides' 


Orestes,  Electra,  and  two  Iphige- 
nias.  The  verse  is  a  compliment 
to  Varius'  genius  for  tragedy,  as 
vv.  5-7  are  to  his  position  as  epic 
poet. 

9.  tenues  grandia :  in  agree- 
ment with,  nos  and  haec.  Notice 
the  forceful  juxtaposition.  Cf.  i, 
3,  10  fragilem  truci ;  i,  $,()credu- 
lus  aiirea  ;  i.  15,  2  perfidus  hospi- 
tam. — lyrae  musa  potens:  cf.  n. 
to  1,5,  isf. 

II.  With  great  skill  Horace 
associates  Agrippa's  glory  with 
that  of  Caesar. — ^ egregii:  Hor- 
ace applies  this  adjective  only 
to  Caesar  among  the  living,  and 
among  the  dead  to  Regulus,  3,  5, 
48  egregius  exul.  —  deterere  :  to 
impair,  properly  '■  to  wear  off  the 
edge.' 

13  ff.  The  answer  to  this  ques- 
tion is  of  course,  '  only  a  second 
Homer,  a  Varius.'  The  following 
themes  are  naturally  selected  from 
the  Iliad.  —  tunica  tectum  ada- 
mantina :  cf.  the  Homeric  x*^' 
Ko^iTiMV.  )(aXKeoO(i)pa^.  )('^XKeo<; 
"Aprj';.  —  pulvere  .  .  .  nigrum :  cf.  2, 


75 


1,6,15]  HORATI 

15  nigrum  Merionen  aut  ope  Palladis 

Tydiden  superis  parem  ? 

Nos  convivia,  nos  proelia  virginum 
sectis  in  iuvenes  unguibus  acrium 
cantamus  vacui,  sive  quid  urimur, 
20  non  praeter  solitum  leves. 

I,  22  ditces  non  indecoro  pidvere  and  epic  themes  are  drinking 
sordidos.  —  Merionen  :  charioteer  bouts  and  lovers'  quarrels,  fit  sub- 
to  Cretan  Idomeneus  and  one  of  the  jects  for  Horace's  iinbellis  lyra. 
foremost  fighters  of  the  Greeks. —  — nos  .  .  .  nos:  for  the  anaphora, 
ope  Palladis  .  .  .  parem:  Horace  seelntr.  28c.  —  sectis ...  unguibus  : 
had  in  mind  //.  5,  881-884  (Ares  and  hence  harmless.  Cf.  the  Greek 
speaks)  r]  vvv  TvSc'os  vtdv,  vTrep-  verses  quoted  on  i,  5,  3. — vacui: 
(f>La\ov  Aio/Ai^8ea,  |  fxapyaCvuv  fancy  free ;  i,  5,  10.  —  sive  quid, 
a.vi-qK€v  iir  aOavdroLai  Oeoiai.  \  etc. :  for  the  omission  of  the  first 
}^v7r ptSa  fikv  TTpwTov  a)(iS6v  ovracrt  sive,  cf.  I,  3,  16. — urimur:  i.e. 
)(€ip' im  Kapirw,  |  aurap  Ittcit  aww  with  love.  —  non  praeter  solitum: 
/xoi  iiricravTo  8aifiovL  «ros.  i.e.  '  after  my  usual  fashion.'  —  le- 
17  ff.  Contrasted  with  the  tragic  ves:  with  the  subject  of  cantamus. 


/7 


This  ode  is  very  similar  in  construction  to  the  fourth,  in  which  the 
first  twelve  verses  are  given  to  the  praise  of  spring,  the  remainder  of 
the  ode  to  the  exhortation  to  enjoy  life  while  we  may ;  in  this,  1-14 
celebrate  the  charm  of  Tivoli,  15-32  urge  the  value  of  wine  as  a  re- 
leaser from  care.  This  second  part  again  falls  naturally  into  two  divi- 
sions:  the  general  exhortation  (15-21),  and  the  concrete  example 
(21-32).  The  connection  between  the  two  parts  of  the  ode  is  so 
slight  that  as  early  as  the  second  century  some  critics  regarded  them  as 
separate  poems,  and  they  so  appear  in  some  manuscripts,  but  that  the 
two  parts  belong  together  was  recognized  by  Porphyrio,  who  notes  on  v. 
1 5  /lanc  oden  quidain  piitant  aliam  esse,  sed  eadevi  est ;  nam  et  hie  ad 
Planctim  loquitur,  in  C7(ins  honore  et  in  superiori  parte  Tibtir  laudavit. 
Plancus  enini  inde  ficit  oriundus. 

L.  Munatius  Plancus,  who  is  here  addressed,  had  a  varied  military 
and  political  career.     He  was  a  legate  of  Julius  Caesar;  in  43  B.C.  as 

76 


CARMINA 


[i.  7.4 


governor  of  Gaul  he  founded  Lugdunum  (Lyons)  and  Augusta  Raura- 
corum  (Augst  near  Basel)  ;  he  was  later  the  friend  of  Antony  and  was 
intrusted  by  him  with  the  government  of  Asia  and  Syria,  but  Antony's 
relations  with  Cleopatra  drove  him  in  31  B.C.  to  take  sides  with  Octa- 
vian.  It  was  he  who  proposed  in  January,  27  B.C.,  that  Octavian  be 
given  the  title  Augustus.  Of  Horace's  relations  to  him  we  know  noth- 
ing beyond  what  this  ode  tells  us,  and  as  little  of  the  special  occasion 
for  the  poem.  The  date  of  composition  is  uncertain,  but  verses  26  ff. 
were  hardly  written  before  29  B.C.,  for  they  seem  to  show  acquaintance 
with  Verg.  A.  i,  195  ff.     Metre,^77. 

Laudabunt  alii  claram  Rhodon  aut  Mytilenen 

aut  Ephesoh  bimarisve  Corijithi 
moenia  vel  Baccho  Thebas  vel  Apolline  Delphos 
*  insignis  aut  Thessala  Tempe. 


I .  laudabunt  alii :  others  may 
praise  (if  they  will)  ;  the  antith- 
esis is  me,  V.  10.  For  this  use  of 
the  future,  cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  847  ff. 
excudent  alii  spirantia  tnollius 
aera  .  .  .  in  regere  iinperio  popu- 
los,  Romafie,  memento.  —  claram : 
famous,  or  possibly  suntiy.  So 
Lucan  8,  247  f.  claramque  re- 
liquit  I  sole  Rhodon.  The  adjec- 
tive belongs  equally  to  Rhodon, 
Mytilenen.  Epheson,  which  are 
closely  connected  by  aut  .  .  . 
aut.  the  following  places  being 
more  loosely  attached  by  ve  .  .  . 
vel  .  .  .  vel.  Rhodes  (Catull.  4, 
8  Rhodtim  .  .  .  nobilem)  famous 
for  its  commerce,  its  schools  of 
rhetoric  and  philosophy,  and  its 
art :  Mytilene,  capital  of  Lesbos,  the 
city  of  Alcaeus  and  Sappho  (Cic. 
de  lege  agr.  2,  40  lerbs  et  tiatura 
et  situ  et  descriptione  aedificiorum 
et pulchritndine  in  primis  nobilis)  : 
Ephesus,   the   chief    city    of    the 


province  of  Asia.  The  same  three 
cities  are  named  by  Mart.  10,  68. 
I  f.  cum  tibi  noti  Ephesos  nee  sit 
Rhodos  aut  Mitylene,  \  sed  domus 
in  vico,  Laelia,  patricio. 

2.  bimaris:  dfjL(l>L6dXacr(To<;. 
Corinth,  destroyed  by  Mummius 
146  B.C.,  restored  by  Julius  Caesar, 
from  its  position  on  the  isthmus 
enjoyed  two  harbors,  Cenchreae 
on  the  Saronic  and  Lechaeum  on 
the  Corinthian  Gulf.  Cf  Ovid. 
Trist.  I,  II,  ^  bimarem  .  .  .  Isth- 
mon. 

3  f.  Bacchus  according  to  one 
tradition  was  the  child  of  Theban 
Semele.  Cf.  i,  19,  2  Thebanae 
.  .  .  Semelae  puer.  Delphi  was 
the  seat  of  Apollo's  greatest  shrine 
on  the  mainland  of  Greece.  — 
insignis :  modifying  both  Thebas 
and  Delphos.  —  Tempe  :  ace.  neu- 
ter plur. ;  famed  for  its  beauty.  Cf. 
Eurip.  Troad.  214  ff.  rav  Ilr/veioi) 
crc/xvav  ')(wpav,  \  Kprprto  OvXvfnrov 


77 


I.  7.  5] 


HORATI 


Sunt  quibus  iinum  opus  est  intactae  Palladis  urbem 

carmine  perpetuo  celebrare  et 
undique  dgpfiiptam  fronti  praeponere  olivam  ; 

plurimus  in  lunonis  honorem 
aptum  dicet  equis  Argos  ditisque  Mycenas, 

Me  nee  tam  patiens  Lacedaemon 
nee  tam  Larisae  percussit  campus  opimae 

quam  domus  Albuneae  resonantis 


KoXXiarav,  \  oKfiw  fipiduv  (jxifjuiv 
TjKova  I  tvOaXtl  t  cvKapireia.  '  I 
have  heard  that  Peneus'  sacred 
district,  Olympus'  footstool  most 
fair,  is  weighted  with  great  fortune 
and  goodly  increase.' 

5  f .  sunt  quibus:  cf.  i,  i,  3 
j««/  yuos.  —  unum  opus,  etc. :  ofi/y 
task,  i.e.  poets  who  devote  them- 
selves to  singing  in  '  unbroken 
song '  (perpetuo  carmine)  the  glo- 
rious history  of  Athens,  the  city 
of  the  virgin  goddess  (intactae 
Palladis) .  Some  critics  take  per- 
petuo carmine  to  mean  epic  in 
contrast  to  lyric  poetry,  but  this 
is  not  necessary. 

7.  The  poets  sing  of  all  the  leg- 
end and  history  that  belongs  to 
Athens,  and  so  their  work  is  com- 
pared to  a  garland  made  of  olive 
leaves  plucked  from  every  part  (un- 
dique) of  the  city.  The  same  com- 
parison was  made  by  Lucret.  i, 
928  ff.  iuvatqtte  ncrvos  decerpere 
/lores  I  insigneinqne  nieo  capiti 
petere  inde  coronam,  \  nnde  prius 
ntdli  velarini  tenip07'a  viusae.  — 
olivam:  sacred  to  Athena. 

8.  plurimus:   7nany  a  one. — in 


lunonis  honorem,  etc.:  cf.  //.  4,  51 1. 
(Hera  speaks)  r]Toi  ifiol  r/aeis  fiiv 
TToXv  cfilKTaTaL  elanrokr/ei,  \  "Apyoi 
TC  '2,iTapTr]  re  «ai  tvpvayi}ia  Mvkt/vt;- 

9.  aptum  .  .  .  equis  Argos,  etc.: 
//.  2,  287  aTr'  *Apy£os  LTnrojSoTOio, 
7,  180  Tro\v)(pvao'i  MvKrjvr].  See 
Tsountas  and  Manatt,  T/ie  Afyce- 
nean  Age,  Index,  s.v.  gems,  for  the 
treasure  found  at  Mycenae. 

10.  me:  emphatic  contrast  to 
alii  V.  I.  Cf.  I,  I,  29. — patiens: 
hardy.  Cf.  Quintil.  3,  7,  24  ininus 
Lacedaevione  studia  litteraruin 
quam  Athenis  honores  merebun- 
tur,  plus  patient ia  ac  fortitudo. 

11.  Larisae  .  .  .  campus  opimae: 
Thessaly  was  famed  in  antiquity 
for  its  grain.  Cf.  //.  2,  841  Adpia-a 
ipLf3(Ji)X.a$. 

12  ff.  Tibur  (Tivoli),  beloved  in 
antiquity  as  in  modern  times  for 
its  beauty,  is  situated  on  the  edge 
of  the  Sabine  Mountains,  overlook- 
ing the  Campagna.  The  Arno 
flows  round  the  foot  of  Mount  Ca- 
tillus  (Monte  Catillo  still)  and  then 
falls  to  the  valley  in  a  number 
of  beautiful  cascades  and  rapids 
(therefore    Albuneae     resonantis ; 


78 


CARMINA 


[I.  7.  21 


et  praeceps-Attio  ac  Tiburni  lucus  et  uda 

mobilibus  pomaria  rivis. 
Albus  ut  obscuro  deterget  nubila  caelo 

saepe  Notus  neque  parturit  imbris 
perpetuos,  sic  tu  sapiens  finire  memento 

tristitiam  vitaeque  labores 
molli,.  Plance,  mero,  seu  te  fulgentia  signis 

castra  tenent  seu  densa  tenebit 
Tiburis  umbra  tui.     Teucer  Salamina  patremque 


praeceps  Anio).  For  Horace's  af- 
fection for  Tivoli,  see  Sellar  p.  1 79 f. 
—  domus  Albuneae :  a  grotto  in 
which  there  was  an  ancient  Italian 
oracle  ;  hence  the  name  of  the  last 
of  the  Sibyls.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  7,  82  ff. 
bicosqiie  sub  alta  \  consiilit  Albii- 
iiea,  nemorum  quae  maxiiina  sacro 
I  fonte  soiiat. 

13  f.  Tiburni:  Tiburnus,  grand- 
son of  Amphiaraus,  the  Argive  seer: 
according  to  tradition  he  was  ban- 
ished with  his  brothers  Coras  and 
Catillus,  and  became  with  them 
the  founder  of  Tibur.  Cf.  2,  6,  5 
Tibiir  Argeo  positu)ii  colono.  Ca- 
tillus gave  his  name  to  the  moun- 
tain behind  the  town  ;  but  was  also 
associated  with  the  town  itself.  Cf. 
I,  18,  2  circa  mite  sohun  Tiburis 
et  moenia  Catili.  —  lucus :  a  sacred 
grove,  distinguished  from  tiemus, 
the  more  general  word.  —  uda 
mobilibus,  etc. :  the  Arno  with  its 
restless  streams  (mobilibus  rivis) 
irrigated  the  adjoining  orchards 
(pomaria).  Cf.  Prop.  5,  7,  81  po- 
mosis  Anio  qua  spumifer  incubat 
arvis. 


15  f.  The  only  connection  be- 
tween the  preceding  and  that  which 
follows  is  Tiburis  umbra  tui,  v.  21. 
'  You  and  I  love  Tibur  beyond  all 
other  places  ;  the  thought  of  that 
spot  reminds  me  of  thee  ;  learn  the 
lesson  of  an  easy  life  wherever  thou 
mayest  be.'  It  must  be  acknowl- 
edged that  the  connection  is  very 
slight.  We  may  have  here  in  reality 
a  combination  of  two  ■  fragments ' 
which  Horace  never  completed.  Cf. 
introductory  n.  to  i,  28.  —  albus 
Notus:  the  south  wind  usually 
brought  rain  {iiubilus  Auster) ;  but 
sometimes  clearing  weather  (albus, 
\cuK6voTo<i),  and  wiped  (deterget) 
the  clouds  from  the  sky.  — parturit : 
breeds.  Cf.  4,  5,  26  f.  qtds  {paveat) 
Germania  quos  horrida  parturit  \ 
fetus. 

17.  perpetuos:  cf.  v.  6  above. — 
sapiens,  etc. :  be  wise  and  remonber. 

19.  molli:  //tellow. 

20.  tenent  .  .  .  tenebit:  notice 
change  in  tense. 

21  ff.  Again  the  connection  with 
the   preceding   is   slight,  but   the_ 
pointing   of  a   General  stateraenj 


79 


7.22] 


HORATI 


cum  fugeret,  tamen  uda  Lyaeo 
tempora  populea  fertur  vinxisse  corona, 

sic  tristis  adfatus  amicos  : 
'  Quo  nos  cumque  feret  melior  fortuna  parente, 

ibimus,  o  socii  comitesque  ! 
Nil  desperandum  Teucro  duce  et  auspice  Teucro ; 

certus  enim  promisit  Apollo 


(17-20)  by  a  mythological  illustra- 
tion is  a  favorite  device  of  Horace.— 
This  particular  story  is  found  only 
here:  Teucer's  father.  Telamon, 
refused  to  receive  him  on  his  re- 
turn from  Troy,  since  he  had  failed 
to  bring  his  brother,  Ajax,  with 
him;  therefore  Teucer  sought  a 
new  home  in  Cyprus,  where  he 
founded  a  city,  named  after  his 
birthplace.  The  tale  was  a  fa- 
miliar one  from  Pacuvius'  tragedy, 
Teucer^  which  was  much  admired. 
Cf.  Frg.  12  R.  (which  is  a  part  of 
Telamon's  reproach)  segregare  abs 
te  aiisii's  aut  sine  illo  Salaminam 
Ingredi,  \  nique  paternum  asptc- 
tum  es  Veritas,  quoin  aetate  exacta 
ifidigein  \  liberum  lacerdsti  orbasti 
extinxti,  tieque fratr'is  necis  |  neque 
eius  gnati  pdrvi,  qui  tibi  in  tutelam 
est  trdditiis?  Cic.  Tusc.  5,  108  re- 
fers to  the  story,  itaque  ad  omnem 
rationem  Teiicri  vox  accommodari 
potest:  '■  Patria  est,  ubicnmque  est 
bene."" 

22  f .  cum  fugeret :  when  start- 
ing to  exile.  —  tamen  :  '■  in  spite  of 
his  trouble.'  —  Lyaeo:  the  releaser, 
Liber,  Awios.  —  populea :  sacred 
to  Hercules.     Cf.  Verg.  A.  8,  276 


Herculea  bicolor  .  .  .  populus 
uvibra;  Theocr.  2,  121  /cpart  8' 
v)(ytv  AevKav,  HpaKXeos  le/aov  epvo<;. 
The  appropriateness  of  Teucer's 
honoring  Hercules  at  this  time 
lies  in  the  character  of  Hercules 
as  a  traveler  (3,  3,  9  vagus  Her- 
cules^ and  leader  (Xen.  Anab., 
4,  8,  25  rfye/jitav),  to  whose  pro- 
tection Teucer  might  naturally  in- 
trust himself  when  starting  on  this 
uncertain  journey.  Furthermore 
it  was  in  company  with  Hercules 
that  Telamon  took  Troy  (cf. 
Verg.  A.  I,  619  ff.)  and  captured 
Hesione,  who  became  Teucer's 
mother. 

25.  quo  .  .  .  cumque :  cf.  n.  to  i, 
6,  3.  —  melior  parente:  kinder  than 
my  father.  Cf.  Telamon's  reproach 
quoted  on  v.  21  above. 

27.  Teucro  .  .  .  Teucro :  note  that 
the  substitution  of  the  proper  name 
for  me  ...  me  appeals  to  their 
loyalty.— duce  et  auspice:  formed 
from  the  technical  Roman  phrase  ; 
cf.  Suet.  Aug.  21  domuit  auteui 
partim  ductu,  partim  auspiciis 
suis  Cantabriam. 

28  f .  The  reason  for  his  confi- 
dence.— certus:     unerring^    true., 


80 


CARMINA 


[1,8,2 


ambiguam  tellure  nova  Salamina  futuram. 
30  O  fortes  peioraque  passi 

mecum  saepe  viri,  nunc  vino  pellite  curas ; 
eras  ingens  iterabimus  aequor.' 

vq/JiepTT]^. —  ambiguam  .  .  .  Sala- 
mina: a  Salatnis  to  dispute  the 
name  (Wickham)  ;  j.e.  when  Sa- 
lamis  was  named,  one  could  not  tell 
which  was  meant,  the  old  or  the 
new.  Cf.  Sen.  Troad.  854  hmcam- 
bigua  verain  Salamina  opponitnt. 
30  ff.  Cf.  Od.  12,  208  a»  f^iXou  ov 

yap  77(0  TL    KUKWV    dOaTJfXOVt^    tlfxtv, 


Verg.  A.  I,  198  f.  0  socii,  neque 
enitn  ignari  siimus  ante  maloritm,  \ 
o  passi  graviora,  dabit  dens  his 
quoqnefitiem.  —  nimc :  to-day,  while 
yet  you  may. 

32.  ingens  :  boundless.  —  itera- 
bimus :  sail  again.  Cf.  Od.  12,  293 
T]UiQ(.v  8'  dvaj3a.vTt<;  ivijcrofitv  evpa 

TTOVTW. 


8 

'  Lydia,  in  Heaven's  name,  why 'wilt  thou  kill  Sybaris  with  love? 
He  no  longer  takes  part  in  manly  sports  on  the  Campus  Martius,  but 
hides  as  did  Achilles  on  the  eve  of  Troy.' 

The  same  theme  —  the  weakening  of  a  youth  by  love  —  was  adapted 
by  Plautus  iJ/(9.y/'.  149  ff.  from  a  Greek  comedy,  cdr  dolet,  qiidin  scio,  ut 
mine  sum  atque  nt  ful  :  |  qud  neque  indiistrior  de  iuventute  erdt  \  •  •  • 
disco,  hastis,  pild.  ciirsu,  armis,  equd  ....  The  date  of  composi- 
tion is  unknown.  It  is  probably  a  study  from  the  Greek,  and  is  Hor- 
ace's single  attempt  to  write  in  the  greater  Sapphic  stanza.     Metre,  70. 

Lydia,  die,  per  omnis 

te  deos  oro,  Sybarin  eur  properes  amando 


I.  Lydia :  (AuSt;)  a  common 
poetic  name  for  the  heroine  in 
amatory  poetry  from  the  time  of 
.Antimachus  ;  cf.  i.  13,  i  ;  25,  8.  — 
per  omnis  te  deos  oro :  the  usual 
order  in  appeals.  Cf.  Ter.  And. 
538  per  te  deos  oro ;  also  in 
Greek,  Soph.  Phil.  468  Trpos  vvv 

(Tt  TTttTpOS,     .     .     .     IKVOVfXXXl. 

1  f.  Sybarin :  the  name  is 
chosen  to  fit  the  effeminacy  of  the 

HOR.  CAR.  —  6 


81 


youth.  Cf.  the  Eng.  *  Sybarite.' 
—  cur  properes,  etc. :  i.e.  '  what 
possible  motive  can  you  have  for 
ruining  the  boy  so  quickly  ? '  The 
rhetorical  form  of  the  question,  as 
well  as  its  content,  implies  that 
Lydia  is  doing  wrong ;  no  answer 
is  expected.  —  amando  :  in  mean- 
ing equivalent  to  an  abstract  noun. 
Cf.  Epod.  14,  5  occidis  saepe  ro- 
gando,  •  by  questioning.' 


I.  8,  3] 


HORATI 


perdere,  cur  apricum  . 

oderit  campum,  patiens  pulveris  atque  solis. 
Cur  neque  militaris 

inter  aequalis  equitat,  Gallica  nee  lupatis 
temperat  ora  frenis  ? 

Cur  timet  flavum  Tiberim  tangere  ?     Cur  olivum 
sanguine  viperino 

cautius  vitat  neque  iam  livida  gestat  armis 
bracchia,  saepe  disco, 

saepe  trans  finem  iaculo  nobilis  expedite  ? 


4.  campum :  the  Campus  Mar- 
tius  was  the  favorite  place  of  exer- 
cise for  the  young  Romans.  — 
patiens :  w/ien  he  once  endured. 
Sun  and  dust  are  the  two  tests  of 
manly  endurance.  Cf.  Symmach. 
Or.  I,  I  ibi pritnutn  tolerans  solis 
et  pulveris  esse  didicisti;  Tacitus, 
Hist.  2,  99,  thus  describes  the 
demoralized  condition  of  the  Ger- 
man troops  in  69  a.d.  noti  vigor 
corporibtts,  nott  ardor  animis,  len- 
tum  et  rarum  ag}iieti,fiuxa  ar/na, 
segnes  equi ;  iinpatiens  solis,  pul- 
veris, tempestatum. 

5  ff.  Two  centuries  later  Philo- 
stratus  wrote  Epist.  27  o^x  tTTrov 
dvaySatVets,  ovk  eis  iraXataTpav 
(iTravTas,  ov)(  rfXto)  St'Sws  crcavTov. 
—  militaris  :  modifying  aequalis, 
wit/t  the  martial  youth  of  his  own 
age;  i.e.  in  the  exercises  described 
3,  7,  25  fF.  quanivis  non  alius 
flectere  equum  sciens  \  aeque  con- 
spicitur  gramine  Martio,  \  nee 
qtiisquam  citus  aeque  \  Tuscodena- 
tat  alveo.  —  Gallica  .  .  .  ora : 
equivalent  to  ora   equorum    Gal- 


lorum.  The  best  cavalry  horses 
came  from  Gaul.  —  lupatis  .  .  . 
frenis :  bits  with  jagged  points 
like  wolfs  teeth,  serving  the  same 
purpose  as  the  Mexican  bit  of  the 
'  cowboy.'  Cf.  Verg.  G.  3,  208 
duris  par  ere  lupatis. 

8.  Swimming  in  the  Tiber  was 
a  favorite  exercise ;  cf.  3,  7,  27 
quoted  on  v.  5  above,  and  Cic.  pro 
Gael.  36  habes  hortos  ad  Tiberim, 
quo  omnis  iuventus  natandi  causa 
venit.  For  the  adjective  flavum, 
cf.  n.  to  I,  2,  13.  —  olivum:  used 
by  wrestlers  to  anoint  the  body. 
—  sanguine  .  .  .  viperino:  thought 
to  be  a  deadly  poison.  Cf.  Epod. 
3,  6  cruor  7>iperinus. 

10.  livida :  with  bruises  re- 
ceived in  his  sports  with  discus 
and  javelin.  —  gestat :  notice  the 
force  of  the  frequentative.  Cf. 
eqtiitat  v.  6.  —  trans  finem:  the 
winner  with  discus  and  javelin 
was  he  who  threw  farthest.  Cf. 
Odysseus'  throw  Od.  8,  192  f.  6 
(St'cTKOs)  8  VTrepTTTaTO  ai^fjuiTa 
TrdvTwv  ]  pifJicjix  Blisiv  airb  )((.(.p6<i. 


CARMINA 


[1.9 


15 


Quid  latet,  ut  marinae. 

filium  dicunt  Thetidis  sub  lacrimosa  Troiae 
funera,  ne  virilis 

cultus  in  caedem  et  Lycias  proriperet  catervas  ? 


13  ff.  A  post-Homeric  legend 
told  how  Thetis,  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Trojan  war,  knowing  the 
fate  that  awaited  her  son,  Achilles, 
if  he  went  to  Troy,  hid  him  in 
maiden's  dress  among  the  daugh- 
ters of  Lycomedes,  king  of  Scyros. 
(Cf.  Bion  2,  15  ff.  Aav^ave  8'  iv 
Kwpais  AvKOfirjStaL  fjLOvvo<;  A^iA.- 
Xeus,  I  eipia  8'   avff   ottXojv   iSiBd- 

(TKiTO,  Koi    X^P'-    ^^^X^  I    "TTapdtVlKOV 

Kopov  ctx^v,  icf>aLV€TO  8  rjvTC  K(i)pa. 
'  But  Achilles  alone  lay  hid  among 
the  daughters  of  Lycomedes.  and 
was  trained  to  work  in  wools,  in 
place  of  arms,  and  in  his  white  hand 
held  the  bough  of  maidenhood,  in 
semblance  a  maiden.'      (Lang.) 


Here  he  was  discovered  by  Ulys- 
ses, who  came  in  disguise  as  a 
peddler  bringing  wares  intended 
to  attract  the  attention  of  girls ; 
there  were  also  in  his  pack  some 
weapons,  by  handling  which  Achil- 
les betrayed  himself.  The  story 
is  told  by  Ovid  Met.  13,  162  flf.; 
cf.  Statius  Achilleis  2,  44  f.  The 
discovery  is  shown  in  two  Pom- 
peian  wall  paintings,  one  of  which 
is  reproduced  in  Baumeister,  no. 
1528. 

—  sub  .  .  .  funera :  on  the  eve 
of;  cf.  sub  noctem.  —  cultus  :  dress. 
—  Lycias:  the  Lycians  were  the 
Trojans'  chief  allies  against  the 
army  of  the  Greeks. 


1/9 


/. 


'The  world  is  bound  in  the  fetters  of  snow  and  ice.  Heap  high  the 
fire  to  break  the  cold ;  bring  out  the  wine.  Leave  all  else  to  the  gods  ; 
whate'er  to-morrow's  fate  may  give,  count  as  pure  gain.  To-day  is 
thine  for  love  and  dance,  while  thou  art  young.' 

The  first  two  strophes  at  least  are  based  on  an  ode  of  Alcaeus 
of  which  we  still  have  six  verses ;  the  setting  only  is  Italian.  Ale. 
Frg.  34  vet  pkv  o  Zeus,  Ik  8'  opdvo)  /leyas  |  ;(ei/u,ft)v,  TrcTrayao-tv  8' 
iiSaToJV  pdat.  |  •  •  •  Ka^/?aXAe  tov  x^ifj-wv,  im  fikv  Ti.6e.L<i  \  irvp,  iv  8c 
Ktpvais  oTvov  dcfiuSico'i  |  p.i\L-)(pov,  avrap  a.fx<f>l  Koptrq.  \  paXOaKov 
dp<^L{^aXliiv)  yv6<f>akXov.  'Zeus  sends  down  rain,  and  from  the  sky 
there  falls  a  mighty  winter  storm;  frozen  are  the  streams.  Break  down 
the  storm  by  heaping  up  the  fire ;  mix  sweet  wine  ungrudgingly,  and 
throw  round  thy  head  sweet  lavender.'  The  last  four  strophes  are 
apparently  Horace's  own.     The  theme  is  the  same  as  that  of  Epod.  13. 

83 


1,9,  I]  HORATI 

The  ode  clearly  suggested  to  Tennyson  the  lines.  In  Mentor.  107. 
'  Fiercely  flies  |  The  blast  of  North  and  East,  and  ice  |  Makes  daggers 
at  the  sharpened  eaves,  .  .  .  But  fetch  the  wine,  |  Arrange  the  board 
and  brim  the  glass,  ||  Bring  in  great  logs  and  let  them  lie,  |  To  make 
a  solid  core  of  heat ;  |  Be  cheerful-minded,  talk  and  treat  |  Of  all 
things  ev'n  as  he  were  by.' 

Thaliarchus  (v.  8)  is  only  a  person  of  Horace's  fancy,  although 
the  name  was  in  actual  use,  as  is  shown  by  inscriptions.  The  ode  is 
evidently  a  study  and  not  an  occasional  poem ;  while  it  probably  be- 
longs to  Horace's  earlier  attempts  at  lyric  verse,  the  skill  with  which  it 
is  written  has  won  admiration  from  all  critics.     Metre,  68. 

Vides  ut  alta  stet  nive  candidum 
Soracte,  nee  iam  sustineant  onus 
silvae  laborantes,  geluque 
flumina  constiterint  acuto. 

5  Dissolve  frigus  ligna  super  foco 

large  reponens,  atque  benignius 

I .    The  point  of  view  is  appar-  constiterint :    this  degree  of  cold 

ently  the  neighborhood  of  Tivoli.  is  not  known  to  the  Campagna. 

from  which  Soracte  can  be  seen  Horace  here  follows  Alcaeus  ttc- 

some  twenty  miles  to  the  west  of  Trayacrtv  8'  vhaTOiv  pdat.  —  acuto: 

north  ;  while  Soracte  is  the  highest  biting,  sharp .    Cf.  Pind.  P.  i,  38  f. 

peak  (2000  feet)  visible  from  this  vK^oecro-'    Airva,  TraviTrj'i  \   ;)(tdvos 

vicinity,   it   is   not   ordinarily    the  d^etixs  riOyjva,  '  nurse  of  the  biting 

most  conspicuous  mountain.  Snow  snow  the  whole  year  through.' 
is  seldom  seen  on  it,  and  so  Hor-  5.   dissolve  frigus:    cf.   i,  4,  i 

ace  seems  to  choose  this  rare  phe-  solvit2ir   acris  hiems,    and    n.  — 

nomenon  to  suggest  extreme  cold  foco :   the  common  hearth  in  the 

weather.  —  ut:    interrogative. —  middle  of  the  atrium. 
nive  candidum :   cf.  Macaulay,  Re-  6.    reponens  :  '  keeping  up '  the 

gillus,  '  White  as  Mount  Soracte  |  supply  of  wood ;  re-   implying  a 

When  winter  nights  are  long.'  duty  to  replace  what  the  fire  con- 

3  f.  laborantes  :  with  the  burden  sumes  ;    cf.  xeMere.  —  benignius  : 

of  the  snow ;   cf.  2,  9,  7  f.  where  without  stint,  dt^eiSe'ws ;  the  com- 

the  high  wind  is  the  cause  of  the  parative    is   not   opposed   to   the 

wood's  distress,  Aqidlonibtis  \  quer-  positive  large  in  any  sense,  but  is 

queta  Garganilaborant.  —  flumina  simply  emphatic. 


CARMINA 


[1.9.  14 


deprome  quadrimum  Sabina, 
o  Thaliarche,  merum  diota. 

Permitte  divis  cetera ;  qui  simul 
stravere  ventos  aequore  fervido 
deproeliantis,  nee  cupressi 
nee  veteres  agitantur  orni. 

Quid  sit  futurum  eras  fuge  quaerere,  at 
quern  fors  dierum  cumque  dabit  lucro 


7.  deprome :  broach.  Sabine 
wine  was  but  ordinary  'vin  de  pays' 
which  would  be  well  aged  in  four 
years.  Horace  means  'a  roaring 
fire  and  good  vin  ordinaire  will 
give  us  warmth  and  cheer.'  Yet 
the  age — four  years  —  may  have 
been  a  commonplace  of  poets  ;  cf. 
Theoc.  7,  147  TCTpaeves  8«  irtOuiv 
OLTTcXveTO  Kparos  aAet<^ap.  '  And 
it  was  a  four-year-old  seal  that 
was  loosened  from  the  mouth  of 
the  wine  jars.'  Likewise  14,  15  f 
dvtu^a  Se  (SifSXivov  avrots  |  cvwSrj. 
Teropwv  ireuiv,  cr^eoov  ws  oltto 
Xxiv(i).  '  And  I  opened  for  them 
Bibline  wine,  four  years  old,  fra- 
grant almost  as  when  it  came  from 
the  wine  press.'  —  Thaliarche: 
®a\iap)(o<s ;  this  suggests  the  mas- 
ter of  the  drinking  bout,  arbiter' 
convivii.  Cf.  n.  to  i,  4,  18. — 
diota:  8tWo?;  the  two-handled 
amphora  in  which  the  wine  was 
stored  in  the  apotheca. 

9  f .  cetera :  all  else,  in  con- 
trast to  the  present  moment  and 
its  joys.  Cf.  Epod.  13,  7  f.  cetera 
tnitte  loqui ;    dens   haec  fortasse 


85 


benigna  \  rediicet  in  sedem  vice, 
and  Theog.  1047  f.  vvv  pkv -nivovTt^ 
TepTTWfieOa,  KaXa  Aeyovres  •  |  atrtra 
8'  tTreiT  ItTTat,  ravra  OeoiaL  fieXei. 
'  Now  let  us  take  our  delight  in 
drinking,  speaking  words  of  fair 
omen ;  whatever  shall  come  to- 
morrow is  only  Heaven's  care.' 
Cf.  also  the  passages  quoted  on  v. 
1 3  below.  —  qui  simul,  etc. :  the  fol- 
lowing illustrates  the  power  of  the 
gods.  —  simul :  i.e.  simul  ac ;  cf. 
I,  4,  17.  and  n.  —  stravere:  so 
aropivvvfjiL,  in  the  same  connec- 
tion Od.  3,  158  icTTopea-ev  8k  Oeos 
lxeyaK7]T€a  ttovtov. 

1 1  f .  The  cypresses  of  the  gar- 
den are  contrasted  with  the  ash 
trees  of  the  mountains. 

13  ff.  Common  Epicurean  sen- 
timents. Cf.  the  Anacreontic  to 
crrjfxepov  /xe'Xei  /xoi  \  to  8'  avpiov 
Tts  oT8ev  ,•  and  Philet.  Erg.  7  K.  ri 
Sei  yap  ovra  Ovrjrov,  tKcreuoj.  Troteiv  | 
irXrjv  rj8iu)<;  ^rjv  tov  (3lov  Kad'  ri/xe- 
pav  I  et9  avpiov  8«  fxij^k  (f>povTL- 
^CLv  o  Ti  I  eorat ;  '  For  what  should 
I  who  am  mortal  do,  I  pray  thee, 
save  live  pleasantly  day  by   day, 


h  9.  15] 


HO  RATI 


15  adpone,  nee  dulcis  amores 

^l^j^iUu^    sperne  puer  neque  tu  ehoreas, 

donee  virenti  eanities  abest 
morosa.     Nune  at  eampus  et  areae 
lenesque  sub  noctem  susurri 
20  composita  repetantur  hora ; 

nune  et  latentis  proditor  intimo 
gratus  puellae  risus  ab  angulo 


and  have  no  anxiety  for  what  may 
come  on  the  morrow?' — f uge  : 
shun,  cf.  2,  4,  22 /uge  stispicari. 
—  fors :  personified,  Davie  For- 
tune. —  dierum:  connect  with  quem 
.  .  .  cumque.  For  the  tmesis,  cf. 
I,  6,  3.  —  lucro  appone  :  in  ori- 
gin a  commercial  expression ; 
'carrying  to  the  profit  account.' 
Cf.  Ovid,  Trist.  i,  3,  68  in  lucro 
est  quae  dattir  hora  ?nihi. 

16.  puer :  '  while  thou  art 
young.'  —  tu:  in  disjunctive  sen- 
tences the  subject  pronoun  is 
often  reserved  for  the  second 
member  as  here,  giving  emphasis 
to  the  charge.  Cf.  Epist.  i,  2, 
63  hutic  frenis,  hunc  tu  compesce 
catena',  and  luv.  6,  172  parce 
precor.  Paean,  et  tu  depone  sagit- 
tas. 

17.  virenti  canities  :  notice  the 
forceful  juxtaposition  ;  cf.  n.  to  i, 
5, 9.  —  virenti :  sc.  tibi.  Cf.  Epod. 
13,  4  dum  virent  genua. 

18  ff.  morosa  :  crabbed.  —  nunc: 
'  while  thou  art  young,'  repeating 
donee  virenti,   etc.     The  Campus 


Martins  and  the  public  squares 
(areae)  were  natural  trysting 
places.  In  our  climate  we  have 
little  idea  of  the  way  in  which 
Italian  life,  from  business  to  love- 
making,  is  still  carried  on  in  the 
squares  {piazze)  of  the  towns 
and  cities.  —  lenes  .  .  .  susurri : 
cf.  Prop.  I,  II,  13  blandos  audire 
susurros. 

21  ff.  nunc  et :  the  anaphora 
weakens  the  violence  of  the 
zeugma  by  which  this  strophe  is 
connected  with  repetantur,  be 
claimed;  the  opposite  of  redder e. 
cf.  n.  on  reponens,  v.  6,  above. 
The  skillful  arrangement  of  the 
verses  is  striking  and  cannot  be 
reproduced  in  an  uninflected  lan- 
guage ;  like  an  artist,  Horace  adds 
to  his  picture  stroke  after  stroke, 
until  it  is  complete.  Each  idea  in 
the  first  verse  has  its  complement 
in  the  second  :  — 
latentis        proditor  intitno 


puellae 


ab  angulo 
Intr.  21. 


86 


CARMINA  [I,  lo,  2 

pignusque  dereptum  lacertis 
aut  digito  male  pertinaci." 

23  f.    The   girl    is    coquettish.  tota  latere  volens,  \  sed  magis  ex 

Porphyrio  quotes  Verg.  E.  3,  65  aliqica    cupiebat    parte    videri,    \ 

et  fngit  (sc.  puella)  ad  salices  et  laetior  hoc  pot  his,  quod  male  tecta 

sc  cupit    atite    videri.      Cf.    also  /7///'. —  pignus  :  j!^/?^^^?,  either  ring 

Maximian's  verses  written  in  the  or  bracelet.  —  male  :  a  weak  nega- 

sixth  century  a.d.  Eleg.   i,  67  ff.  tive   with    pertinaci,   like    tninus, 

et  modo  subridens  latebras  fugi-  feebly    resisting.      Cf.    i,   2,    27, 

tiva  petebat,\non  tatnen  effugiens  and  n. 


l/ 


10 


The  Italian  Mercury  was  early  identified  with  the  Greek  Hermes, 
but  was  chiefly  worshiped  by  the  Romans  as  the  god  of  trade. 
This  ode  is  a  hymn  to  Mercury  with  the  varied  attributes  of  his 
Greek  parallel:  he  is  celebrated  as  tJie__godofel^queiice  (Aoyios).  Q^ 
|ililetic-jCQiit.est§  (dywi/tos),  the_  divine  messenger  (Sia/cropos),  the  in- 
ventor of  the  lyre  (/AoucrtKos),  the  god  of  thieves  («•Af7rT7yc)-iiie  helper 
{ipiovvio'i),  and  the,§hepherd_of  thejsb^des  (i//i;xo7ro|U,7rds) ,  who  restrains 
them  with  his  .golden  \yan3  (;^pucroppa7rts) .  That  this  ode  is  leased  on 
a  similar  ode  by  Alcaeus  is  expressly  stated  by  Porphyrio,  hymnus  est 
in  Mercuriuvi  ab  Alcaeo  lyrico  poeta,  who  adds  on  v.  9  fabida  haec 
autem  ab  Alcaeo  ficta  ',  furthermore  Pausanias  (7,  20,  5)  informs  us  that 
Alcaeus  treated  in  a  hymn  the  theft  of  cattle  from  Apollo,  but  Menander 
{de  encom.  7)  says  that  ttie  chief  theme  of  the  hymn  was  the  birth  of 
the  god,  so  that  we  may  safely  conclude  that  Horace's  treatment  of  his 
original  was  free.  Unfortunately  but  three  verses  of  Alcaeus'  hymn  are 
preserved,  Frg.  5  xdlpi.  KvAAavas  o  fxiSeL<;.  ak  yap  fxoL  \  Ovfxo'i  vfiv-qv, 
Tov  Kopv^toLS  iv  avrais  |  Maia  yivvaro  KpovtSa  /xtyeicra.     Metre,  69. 

Mercuri,  faciinde  nepos  Atlantis, 
qui  feros  cultus  hominum  recentum 

I  ff.  facunde  :  as  A,oytos.  god  of  cunde  minister,  and  also  Acts  14, 
speech,  expanded  in  the  following  12  'And  they  called  .  .  .  Paul,  Mer- 
qui  .  .  .  voce  formasti :  cf.  Mart.  7,  cury,  because  he  was  the  chief 
74.  I   Cyllenes  caeliqne  decus,  fa-      speaker.'  —  nepos    Atlantis :     cf. 

87 


J.  lo,  3] 


HORATI 


voce  formasti  catus  et  decorae 
more  palaestrae, 

te  canam,  magni  lovis  et  deorum 
nuntium  curvaeque  lyrae  parentem, 
callidum  quicquid  placuit  iocoso 
condere  furto. 

Te  boves  olim  nisi  reddidisses 
per  dolum  amotas  puerum  minaci 
voce  dum  terret,  viduus  pharetra 
risit  Apollo. 


Ovid's  appeal,  Fast.  5,  663  dare 
nepos  Atlantis.,  ades,  and  Eurip.  Ion 
I  ff.,  where  Hermes  speakSj'ArXas 
.  .  .  e<j>v(T€  Maiav,  rj  fi  iyetvaro  \ 
'Eipfxrjv  /AcytCTTO)  Zrjvi  —  cultus  : 
manners.  —  recentum :  '  newly  cre- 
ated ' ;  i.e.  mankind  in  its  infancy, 
described  by  Horace,  S.  1,3,  100 
as  mutiim  et  tnrpe  pectis.  By  the 
gift  of  language  (voce)  and  the  in- 
stitution (more)  of  'grace-giving' 
athletic  sports  Mercury  raised  men 
out  of  their  early  brute  condition. 
An  inscription  (Orelli  141 7)  in  his 
honor  reads  sermonis  dator  infans 
palaestra»!  protulit  Cyllenins.  — 
catus:  an  archaic  word  defined  by 
Varro  L.  L.  7,  46  as  aadus,  the 
opposite  oi  stjdtjis. 

6.  nuntium :  so  he  is  called  Verg. 
A.  4,  356  inter pres  divotn.  —  ly- 
rae parentem:  ci.  ArnoXA''?,  Merope 
'Surprised  in  the  glens  |  The  bask- 
ing tortoises,  whose  striped  shell 
founded  |  In  the  hand  of  Hermes 
the  glory  of  the  lyre.' 


7  f.  callidum :  with  the  depend- 
ent infinitive  condere.  Intr.  108. 
Hermes  is  called  Eurip.  Rhes.  217 
f^-qXyjTijiv  ava^. — iocosO  :  sportii/e. 

9  ff.  According  to  the  Homeric 
hymn  to  Mercury  22  IT.  it  was  on 
the  very  day  of  the  god's  birth  that 
he  perpetrated  this  theft  as  well  as 
invented  the  lyre.  The  Scholiast 
to  //.  15,  256  tells  the  same  story 
Ejo^-^s  6  A105  /cat  MatasT^s  ArAav- 
Tos  evpe  \vftav  km  tovs  AttoAAwvos 
^oas  KXo/'as  evpiOiq  wo  tov  deov 
8ia  r>}s  fxavTLKrj'i  •  a.iTuXovvTO%  ok 
TOV  'AttoAAwvos  eKAei/'CV  avrov  km 
TO.  em  Twv  wjxwv  To^a  ■  yLtetotacra? 
Se  6  Oeo<;  eScoKcv  avT(Jo  ttjv  /xavTiKrjv 
pa^Sov.  a(fi  ^s  KM  )(poa6f)pa7n<;  o 
'Ep/i.^9  Trpoarjyoptvdr],  lAa^e  ok 
vap  avTOv tyjv Xvpav.  —  olim :  'long 
ago  in  thy  childhood.'  —  nisi  red- 
didisses: the  sentence  stands  in 
'  informal '  indirect  discourse,  the 
apodosis  being  contained  in  minaci 
voce ;  Apollo  said,  threateningly. 
'  if    you    do    not    give    back    my 


CARMINA 


[i,  lo,  20 


15 


Quin  et  Atridas  duce  te  superbos 
Ilio  dives  Priamus  relicto 
Thessalosque  ignis  et  iniqua  Troiae 
castra  fefellit. 

Tu  pias  laetis  animas  reponis 
sedibus  virgaque  levem  coerces 
aurea  turbam,  superis  deorum 
gratiis  et  imis. 


cattle  {nisi  reddideris,  fut.  perf. 
ind.),  rU  .  .  .  ,'  his  threat  being  in- 
terrupted by  an  involuntary  laugh 
at  seeing  himself  robbed  (viduus) 
of  his  quiver. — risit:  used  in  ob- 
ligatory sense,  had  to  laugh;  em- 
phatic from  its  position.     Intr.  22. 

13  ff.  This  strophe  summarizes 
tiie  twenty-fourth  book  of  the  Iliad, 
in  which  is  told  how  Priam,  under 
Mermes'  direction,  came  into  the 
( ireek  camp  bringing  great  ransom 
for  Hector's  body,  how  he  kissed 
the  hand  of  his  son's  slayer,  and 
carried  back  the  corpse.  This  ex- 
ample of  Hermes'  power  to  protect 
and  aid  mankind  forms  an  easy  tran- 
sition  from  the  story  of  his  clever 
theft  (7-12)  to  a  mention  of  his 
highest  functions,  as  i//vxo7ro/A7ros 
(17-20). 

—  quin  et:  regularly  used  in 
transition  to  a  more  striking  state- 
ment, or.  as  here,  to  a  higher  theme. 
Cf.  2, 1 3, 37  ;  3, 1 1 , 2 1 .  —  dives :  with 
the  treasure  he  carried  to  ransom 
Hector's  body.  —  Thessalos  ignis: 
specializing  the  watch-fires  as  be- 
longing to  Achilles'  troops.  —  fe- 
fellit: went  all  unnoticed  past. 


17.  tu:  note  the  effective  ana- 
phora whereby  the  Mercuri  of  the 
first  strophe  is  repeated  in  the 
initial  word  of  the  second,  third,  and 
fifth  (te  .  .  .  te  .  .  .  tu)  ;  in  the  fourth 
the  initial  quin  et  pushes  the  pro- 
noun (duce  te)  to  the  middle  of  the 
verse.  Intr.  28c. —  reponis:  dost 
duly  bring  to  the  abodes  of  the  blest, 
or  possibly  '  restorest  to,"  under  the 
conception  that  the  souls  returned 
to  their  former  homes.  For  this 
force  of  re-  cf.  i,3,7r<?rtV/a.$-,and  n. 
to  1 , 9, 6.  —  sedibus :  abl .     I  ntr .  95 . 

18  f.  virga . . .  aurea :  the  K-^pvKuov 
presented  by  Apollo,  with  which 
Mercury  rules  men  and  the  shades 
alike.  Cf.  //.  24,  343  f.  ctAero  Se 
pd^Bov,  Trj  T  dvSpwv  ofJifxxiTa  Oekyei  \ 
wv  iOeXei,  tol^s  6  avre  kol  v7rvwovTa<i 
eyetpei.  The  familiar  caduceus 
with  which  Mercury  is  often  repre- 
sented is  of  later  origin.  —  levem 
. .  .  turbam:  flitting  crowd ;  ei8o>Aa 
/<ttyu.dvTfov.  —  coerces :  as  a  shepherd. 
Cf.  1 ,  24, 1 6  if.  quain  (sc.  imagitieni) 
virga  seniel  horrida  \  non  lenis  pre- 
cibus  fata  recludere,  \  nigro  coin- 
pulerit  Mercurius  gregi,  and  Od. 
24.  I  ff. 


I,  II,  I] 


HORATI 


II 

'  Leuconoe,  give  up  trying  to  learn  the  secrets  of  the  future.  Be 
wise,  do  thy  daily  task,  and  live  to-day ;  time  is  swiftly  flying.'  This  is 
simply  a  variation  of  the  theme  (i,  9,  12  ff.),  quid  sit  futur urn  eras, 
fuge  qiiaerere,  et  \  quern  fors  dierum  euf/ique  dabit,  luero  \  appone. 
Probably  a  study  from  the  Greek,  possibly  of  Alcaeus,  as  are  i,  iS, 
and  4,  ID,  the  two  other  odes  in  the  same  measure.     Metre,  54. 

Tu  ne  quaesieris,  scire  nefas,  quem  mihi,  quem  tibi 
finem  di  dederint,  Leuconoe,  nee  Babylonios 
temptaris  numeros.     Vt  melius  quicquid  erit  pati, 
seu  pluris  hiemes  seu  tribuit  luppiter  ultimam 
5       quae  nunc  oppositis  debilitat  pumicibus  mare 


I.  tu:  emphasizing  the  requests 
to  his  imaginary  Leuconoe.  whose 
name  is  chosen  for  its  pleasing 
sound.  By  the  collocation,  quem 
mihi,  quem  tibi,  Horace  represents 
her  as  dear  to  him. — ne  quaesi- 
eris :  archaic  and  colloquial  for 
the  ordinary  noli  with  the  infini- 
tive.—  scire  nefas:  parenthetical. 
Cf.  Epod.  16,  \\  nefas  videre:  and 
for  the  thought  as  well,  Stat. 
Theb.  3.  562  quid  crastinavolveret 
aetas  scire  nefas  hotnini. 

2  f .  nee :  with  temptaris,  con- 
tinuing the  prohibition,  for  the 
more  common  neve.  —  Babylonios 
.  .  .  numeros :  the  calculations  of 
the,  etc.,  employed  in  casting 
horoscopes.  After  the  conquests 
of  Alexander,  astrologers  made 
their  way  to  Greece  from  the 
east  in  large  numbers  and  had 
established  themselves  in  Rome 
as  early  as  the  second  century 
B.C.,  where  they  did  a  thriving 
business  among  the  superstitious. 


They  had  become  a  nuisance  as 
early  as  139  B.C.  when  the  prae- 
tor peregrinus,  Cornelius  Scipio, 
banished  them  ;  but  they  still  con- 
tinued to  practice  their  art  througli- 
out  the  republic  and  especially 
under  the  empire,  in  spite  of  many 
attempts  to  rid  Italy  of  them.  Cf. 
Tac.  Hist.  I,  22  genus  hominuin 
potentibus  infidmn  sperantibus 
fallax,  quod  in  civitate  nostra  et 
vetabitur  setnper  et  retinebitur . 

—  ut:  cf.  Epod.  2.  lout gaudct 
decerpens pira.  —  hiemes :  of  years, 
equivalent  to  annos ;  cf.  i,  15,  35 
post  certas  hiemes. 

5  f.  oppositis  debilitat  pumici- 
bus mare  Tyrrhenum :  pumices  is 
used  of  any  rocks  eaten  by  the 
waves;  cf.  Lucret.  i,  326  vesco 
sale  saxa  peresa.  Sidon.  Apoll. 
10,  27  prominet  alte  \  asper  ab 
assiduo  lyinpharum  verbere  pu- 
mex.  The  description  given,  how- 
ever, is  hardly  appropriate  to 
the   Tuscan    Sea.    in    the    region 


90 


CARMINA 


[I,  12 


Tyrrhenum.     Sapias,  vina  liques,  et  spatio  brevi 
spem  longara  reseces.     Dum  loquimur,  fugerit  invida 
aetas ;  carpe  diem,  quam  minimum  credula  postero. 


best  known  to  Horace.  —  sapias : 
be  se7isible,  expanded  in  what  fol- 
lows. With  the  sentiment,  cf.  i, 
7,  17  sapiens  fijiire  memento  tris- 
titiatn.  —  vina  liques  :  to  free  the 
wine  from  sediment  it  was  poured 
from  the  amphora  through  a  cloth 
{saccus')  or  strainer  {colimi) .  — 
spatio  brevi :  '  for  our  life's  span 
is  brief; '  opposed  to  spemlongam. 
Intr.  26.  —  reseces :  cut  short. 

7.  dum  loquimur  .  .  .  fugerit : 
note  the  force  of  the  fut.  perf. 
Cf.  Lucret.  3,  914  f.  brevis  hie 
est fritctiis  homullis;  \  iam  fuerit 
iiequepost  umqitam  7-evocare  licebit. 
Also  luv.  9,  128  f.  diim  bibimus, .  .  . 
obrepit  no?i  intellect  a  senectus. 

8.  diem:  the  flitting  day, 
equivalent  to  *■  primo  qiioqite   die 


frtiere^  according  to  Porphyrio, 
who  adds  that  the  figure  is  taken 
from  picking  {car per e)  fruit,  '■quae 
carpimusut  frtiamtir.''  Cf.  Lucil. 
39,  51  M.  hiemem  imam  quajnque 
carpam ;  Mart.  7,  47,  1 1  fugitiva 
gaudia  carpe.  The  spirit  of  the 
last  line  is  also  expressed  in  Epist. 
I,  4,  12  f.  inter  spem  curamque, 
timores  inter  et  ir as  \  omnem  crede 
diem  tibi  diluxisse  supremtitn ; 
likewise  by  Persius,  5,  151-53, 
who  expands  Horace's  verse,  in- 
dulge genio,  carpamus  dulcia,  nos- 
trum est  I  quod  vivis,  cinis  et  manes 
et  fabula  fles,  \  vive  memor  leti, 
fugit  hora,  hoc  quod  loquor  inde  est. 
—  credula :  of  foolish  confi- 
dence, cf.  I,  5,  9  qui  mine  tefrui- 
tur  credulus  aurea. 


12 

'  What  hero,  demigod,  or  god,  dost  thou  prepare  to  sing,  O  Muse  ? 
Whose  name  shall  echo  on  Helicon,  on  Pindus,  or  on  Haemus'  height, 
where  Orpheus  charmed  all  nature  with  his  strains?  (1-12).  Of  gods 
first  surely  father  Jove  ;  then  his  daughter  Pallas,  then  Liber,  Diana,  and 
Phoebus  (13-24).  The  demigod,  Alceus'  grandson,  will  I  celebrate,  and 
the  twin  brothers,  who  guard  sailors  from  the  angry  sea  (25-32).  Then 
the  great  Romans,  Romulus,  Tarquin,  Cato,  and  the  long  line  of  heroes 
after  them  (31-44).  Marcellus"  fame  is  growing;  the  Juhan  star  out- 
shines the  rest  (45-48).  Father  and  guardian  of  men,  in  thy  care  is 
mighty  Caesar,  greatest  of  all  the  Roman  line.  May  his  rule  be  second  to 
thine  only  ;  may  he  conquer  the  Parthians  and  the  remotest  Eastern  peo- 
ples, and  rule  the  wide  wide  world  ;  still  shall  he  be  thy  subject,  for  thou, 
thou  only  shalt  ever  be  Lord  of  Olympus,  the  Punisher  of  crime  (49-60) .' 

91 


1,    12,  l] 


HORATI 


This  ode,  like  the  second  of  this  book,  is  in  honor  of  Augustus,  who 
is  celebrated  as  greatest  of  all  the  long  line  of  Roman  heroes,  the  vice- 
gerent_i)£-Jj3V€.~'The  mention  of  Marcellus  (46)  makes  it  probable 
that  the  date  of  composition  was  either  25  B.C.,  when  Marcellus  was 
married  to  Augustus'  daughter  Julia  and  adopted  as  the  Emperor's  son. 
or  in  any  case  between  that  date  and  Marcellus'  death  in  23  B.C.  The 
opening  verses  were  suggested  by  Pindar's  ode  in  honor  of  Theron 
((?.  2)  which  begins  di'a^t^opyu.iyye?  vfxvoL,  \  rtVa  deov,  riv  rjpoM,  rtVu 
8'  av8pa  KeXaS-Qa-ofiev ;  Horace  proceeds,  however,  in  very  different  fashion 
from  Pindar,  who  answers  his  question  at  once :  '  Of  the  Gods,  Zeus : 
of  demigods,  Heracles  ;  of  men,  Theron  the  victor.'     Metre,  69. 

Quem  virum  aut  heroa  lyra  vel  acri 
tibia  sumis  celebrare,  Clio, 
quem  deum  .-*     Cuius  recinet  iocosa 
nomen  imago 

5  aut  in  umbrosis  Heliconis  oris 

aut  super  Pindo  gelidove  in  Haemo  ? 


I .  heroa :  demigod.  —  lyra  .  .  . 
tibia :  the  Greek  rhapsodist  ac- 
companied his  recital  with  the 
lyre,  and  it  is  said  (Cic.  Tusc.  4, 
3)  that  in  early  times  the  Romans 
sang  their  songs  in  honor  of  their 
ancestors  {laudationes)  to  the 
music  of  the  tibia.  —  acri :  Atyet'j;, 
XL-yvpa;  of  the  high  clear  notes 
of  the  pipe.  The  epithet  is  praised 
by  Quintilian  8,  2,  9  propria  dic- 
tum est,  id  est,  quo  nihil  inve- 
niri possit  significantius .  —  sumis  : 
choose,  as  subject  of  thy  song; 
used  with  similar  dependent  infin. 
Epist.  I,  3,  7  qtiis  sibi  res  gestas 
August i  scribere  sumit  ?  —  Clio  : 
while  Horace  does  not  often  dis- 
tinguish the  Muses,  it  is  possible 
that  here  Clio  is  invoked  in  her  pe- 
culiar character  as  Muse  of  History. 


3  f .  iocosa  .  .  .  imsigo :  sportive 
echo.  Cf.  I,  20,  6  iocosa  ... 
Vaticani  montis  imago. 

5  f.  Three  homes  of  the  Muses  : 
Helicon  in  Boeotia,  Pindus  in  Thes- 
saly,  Haemus  in  Thrace.  At  the 
foot  of  Helicon  was  the  village  of 
Ascra,  in  which  there  was  a  shrine 
of  the  Muses  (/Aovo-eiov)  and  a  guild 
of  poets  of  which  Hesiod  (eighth 
centuryB.c.)  was  the  most  famous. 
The  mountain  was  also  famed  for 
the  springs  of  Hippocrene  and 
Aganippe.  Pindus  was  between 
Thessaly  and  Epirus ;  likewise  a 
haunt  of  the  Muses.  Haemus 
was  the  seat  of  an  early  cult  of  the 
Muses  and  the  traditional  home 
of  a  Thracian  school  of  poetry. 
Cf.  Verg.  ^.  10,  1 1  f.  nam  neque 
Parnasi  vobis  iuga,   nam    neque 


92 


CARMINA 


[i,  12,  14 


Vnde  vocalem  temere  insecutae 
Orphea  silvae, 

arte  materna  rapidos  morantem 
10  fluminum  lapsus  celerisque  ventos, 

blandum  et  auritas  fidibus  canoris 
ducere  quercus. 

Quid  prius  dicam  solitis  parentis 
laudibus,  qui  res  hominum  ac  deorum, 
Pindi  \  tilla  morain  fecere.  neqiie      i.e.    of  Calliope.  —  blandum 


Aonie  Aganippe.  —  oris  :  the  bor- 
ders of. 

7  f .  temere  :  blindly.,  being  spell- 
bound by  Orpheus'  music.  For 
the  story  of  Orpheus'  power,  cf. 
ApoU.  Rhod.  I.  28  ff.  (^T/yot  8' 
dy/atciSes,  /cetVi;?  en  crrnxaTa  /jloXtt^'s. 
I  d/CT^s  6pr]LKLr]<;  Zu)vr}^  Itti  rrjXe- 
$6(})(TaL  I  k^€L-q<i  (TTL\6(aaiv  i-rrrjTpL- 
fjiou  as  oy  kinirpo  \  6ekyofx.h/a<; 
(fiopfiLyyi  Karrjyaye  YlLepirjOev. 
•  But  the  wild  oaks  —  even  to-day 
memorials  of  that  song  —  grow  on 
Zone,  the  Thracian  promontory, 
and  stand  there  in  rows  dose  to- 
gether ;  the  oaks  that  Orpheus 
charmed  with  his  lyre  and  brought 
down  from  Pieria.'  Also  Shake- 
spere,  Henry  Eighth  3,  i  '  Orpheus 
with  his  lute  made  trees,  |  And 
the  mountain  tops  that  freeze,  | 
Bow  themselves  when  he  did 
sing :  I  To  his  music,  plants  and 
flowers  I  Ever  sprung ;  as  sun  and 
showers  |  There  had  made  a  last- 
ing Spring.' 

9  ff.  Cf.  3,  II,  13  f.  tu  pfltes 
tigris  comitesque  silvas  \  ducere  et 
rtvos  ceteris  morari.  —  materna  : 


ducere  :  for  the  dependent  infinitive 
Porphyrio  compares  i,  10,  7  calli- 
dum  condere. — auritas:  prolepti- 
cal,  '  with  charm  to  give  ears  to  the 
oaks  and  draw  them  after  him.' 

13-24.  The  Gods.  Notice 
tliat  Horace  in  taking  up  his  exam- 
ples reverses  the  order  of  v.  i  ff. 
virum  .  .  .  heroa  .   .  .  deum. 

13.  solitis  parentis  laudibus: 
the  customary  beginning  from  the 
time  of  the  Homeric  rhapsodists. 
Cf.  Pind.  N.  2,  I  ff.  oQiv  ircp  koi 
Ofji-qpihat  I  paTTTWv  iiritov  to.  ttoXX' 
doiSoi  I  dp^ovTai.  Atos  €k  irpooi- 
fiiov.  And  Aratus  Phaen.  i  f.  Ik 
^u)<:  dpxwfJLecrda  ....  rov  yap  koi 
yeVos  e(Tfj.ev.  Also  Verg.  E.  3,  60 
ab  love  principiiun.  The  formula 
indicates  the  beginning  of  a  loftier 
strain  than  usual,  of  a  song  that 
may  be  compared  with  that  of 
Thracian  Orpheus. 

—  parentis:  cf.  v.  49  pater 
atque  custos,  and  i,  2.  2  pater. 

14.  qui  res,  etc.  :  cf.  Venus'  ad- 
dress. Verg.  A.  I,  229  f.  o  qui  res 
ho;ninumque  deumque  \  aeternis 
regis  iniperiis. 


93 


I,  12,  15] 


HORATI 


15  qui  mare  et  terras  variisque  mundum 

temperat  horis  ? 

Vnde  nil  maius  generatur  ipso, 
nee  viget  quicquam  simile  aut  secundum  ; 
proximos  illi  tamen  occupavit 
20  Pallas  honores, 

proeliis  audax;  neque  te  silebo 
Liber,  et  saevis  inimica  virgo 
beluis,  nee  te,  metuende  certa 
Phoebe  sagitta. 


15  f .  mundum :  heavens,  in  con- 
trast with  mare,  terras.  —  horis : 
seasons.  Cf.  Epist.  2,  3,  302  sub 
verni  te?nporis  horam. 

17.  unde  :  equivalent  to  ex  quo, 
referring  to  parens.  Cf.  Verg.  A. 
I,  6  genus  unde  Latinum.  This 
use  of  unde,  referring  to  a  person, 
is  chiefly  found  in  poetry,  cf.  2, 
12,  7  unde  =  a  quibus,  but  occurs 
also  in  prose,  e.g.  Cic.  de  Or.  i, 
67  ille  ipse,  unde  cogttovit. 

18  f.  quicquam  simile  :  sc.  ei.  — 
secundum  .  .  .  proximos :  the  dis- 
tinction between  these  words  is 
clearly  shown  by  Vergil  in  his 
account  of  the  boat  race,  A.  5, 
320  proxinnis  kick,  longo  sedproxi- 
mus  intervallo,  as  earlier  by  Cice- 
ro, Brtit.  173  duobus  summis 
{oratoribiis')  L.  Philippus  proxi- 
mus  accedebat,  sed  longo  intervallo 
tamen  proximus.  Secundus  is  used 
properly  of  that  which  is  '  next,' 
closely  connected,  while  proximus 
may    be    used   of  that   which   is 


'  nearest '  although  separated  by  a 
considerable  distance. 

21  f.  proeliis  audax :  modify- 
ing Pallas.  —  et :  continuing  the 
negative  neque  .  .  .  silebo.  — 
virgo :  Diana  (Artemis),  not  sim- 
ply as  the  huntress,  but  also  as 
the  destroyer  of  fierce  monsters 
(beluis)  and  a  benefactress  of 
mankind.  Cf.  Callim.  Hytnn  to 
Artemis  153  f.  (Heracles  speaks) 
fidWe  KaKOV'i  ctti  drjpa^,  iva 
OvrjTOi  ere  ^orjOov  \  ws   e/xe  kikXt]- 

(TKUXTLV. 

23  f .  metuende  certa  Phoebe  sa- 
gitta :  the  list  of  beneficent  divin- 
ities celebrated  closes  with  Apollo. 
the  slayer  of  the  monster  Python. 
He  was  the  champion  of  Augustus 
at  Actium.  and  afterward  regarded 
by  the  emperor  as  his  patron  di- 
vinity. Cf.  Prop.  5,  6,  27flf.  cum 
Phoebus  linquetis . . .  Delon,  adstitit 
Augusti  piippivt  super,  .  .  .  qualis 
flexos  solvit  Pythona  per  orbis  ser- 
pentem.     It  should  be  also  noticed 


94 


CARMINA 


[i.  12,  34 


25 


3° 


Dicam  et  Alciden  puerosque  Ledae, 
hunc  equis,  ilium  superare  pugnis 
nobilem  ;  quorum  simul  alba  nautis 
Stella  refulsit, 

defluit  saxis  agitatus  umor, 
concidunt  venti  fugiuntque  riubes, 
et  minax,  quod  sic  volueje,  ponto 
unda  recumbit. 

Romulum  post  hos  prius  an  quietum 
Pompili  regnum  memorem  an  superbos 


that  the  gods  selected  are  those 
who  had  made  the  earth  more  ten- 
able for  man  by  freeing  it  of  mon- 
sters, but  none  of  the  divinities 
especially  connected  with  the  Ro- 
man people,  as  Mars,  or  with  the 
Julian  line,  as  Venus,  are  included. 

25-32.  The  demigods.  —  Alci- 
den: Hercules.  —  hunc  equis.  ilium, 
etc. :  cf.  //.  3, 237  Kao-Topa  ^'  hnro- 
Oafiov  Koi  TTV^  ayaOov  TToAvSeu/cea. 

27 ff.  quorum  simul.  etc.:  cf.  n. 
to  I.  3.  2  and  the  passages  there 
quoted.  This  graphic  passage,  as 
well  as  4.  8,  33,  reflects  Theoc.  22, 
1 7  ff-  aA.X  l/iATras  Vjuet?  ye  /cat  e/c 
fSvOov  cAkctc  vaas  |  avroiaiv  vavrat- 
(Tiv  6LoiuvoL<i  9av€€adaL  •  I  oiif/a  8' 
aTToX^yovr'  avefiOL,  Xnrapa  Sk  ya- 
Aava  I  d/xTTcAayos  '  vet^eAai  8e  Ste- 
Spa/xov  (xAAdSi?  dAAat.  '  Yet  even 
so  do  ye  draw  forth  the  ships  from 
the  abyss,  with  their  sailors  that 
looked  immediately  to  die  ;  and  in- 
stantly the  winds  are  still,  and  there 
is  an  oily  calm  along  the  sea.  and 


the  clouds  flee  apart,  this  way  and 
that'  (Lang).  Cf.  also  Verg.  A.  i. 
1 ,  54  s/c  cuncttis  pelagi  cecidit  fra- 
gor.  —  refulsit :  i.e.  in  answer  to 
the  sailors'  prayers. 

29  ff .  defluit . . .  concidunt . . .  fu- 
giujit :  observe  the  effective  empha- 
sis given  by  position  and  rhythm. 

33  f .  Horace  now  turns  to  mor- 
tals—  the  noble  Romans  dead  and 
gone.  —  quietum  Pompili  regnum : 
Numa's  peaceful  reign,  during 
which  tradition  said  religious  ob- 
servances were  established,  is  con- 
trasted with  the  warlike  rule  of 
Romulus.  Livy  describes  the  ser- 
vices of  the  two  kings  i,  21  duo 
deinceps  reges,  alms  alia  via,  ille 
{Rojiiuh(s')  bello,  hie  (^Nunia^  pace, 
civitatem  aiixenitit.  —  superbos 
Tarquini  fascis:  the  adjective  be- 
longs logically  to  Tarquini.  who 
served  the  state  by  his  conquests 
of  the  neighboring  peoples.  Al- 
though the  remembrance  of  his 
haughtiness  remained,  his  memory 


95 


I.  12,  35] 


HORATI 


35  Tarquini  fascis  dubito,  an  Catonis 

nobile  letum. 

Regulum  et  Scauros  animaeque  magnae 
prodigum  Paullum  superante  Poeno 


was  not  stained  with  any  baseness. 
Cic  Phil.  3. 9.  Tarquinius  .  .  .  non 
crndelis,  non  inipiiis,  sed  superbits 
habitus  est  et  diet  its . . .  nihil  huinile 
de  Tarquinio,  nihil  sordidum  ae- 
cepimiis. 

35!  Catonis  nobile  letum:  Hor- 
ace passes  in  his  examples  of  Ro- 
man virtus  from  the  last  of  the 
kings  to  the  last  great  republican. 
Cato's  choice  of  suicide  at  Utica 
(46  B.C.)  rather  than  of  submission 
to  the  new  order  of  things,  is  fre- 
quently referred  to  by  his  con- 
temporaries and  by  writers  of  the 
following  century  in  terms  of  the 
highest  praise.  Cf.  C\c.  ad  fa»i. 
9.  18  Ponipeius,  Scipio,  Afranitis 
in  hello  civile  foede  perierunt,  '  at 
Cato  praeclare.''  No  question  was 
raised  as  to  Cato's  honesty  of  pur- 
pose, and  he  became  a  kind  of 
canonized  hero.  Augustus'  policy 
of  allowing  praise  of  all  that  was 
noble  in  the  champions  of  the  re- 
public made  it  possible  for  Horace 
to  do  honor  to  Cato  even  in  an  ode 
glorifying  the  emperor.  Indeed 
Augustus  wisely  forestalled  his 
opponents  by  praising  Cato  him- 
self 

37  ff .  Horace  here  returns  to  the 
heroes  of  an  earlier  time.  —  Regu- 
lum :    Regulus  was    a    traditional 


instance  of  that  ancient  Roman 
manhood  {virtus)  that  preferred 
his  country's  honor  to  his  own  life. 
The  fifth  ode  of  the  third  book 
holds  up  his  self-sacrifice  as  an 
example  for  the  youth  of  Horace's 
own  time.  —  Scauros:  referring 
chiefly  to  M.  Scaurus  and  his  son. 
The  father  was  called  by  Valerius 
Max.  5, 8, 4  lumen  et  decus patriae; 
the  son  was  involved  in  the  defeat 
on  the  Adige  in  loi  B.C.  and  shared 
the  panic-stricken  flight  under  Ca- 
tulus.  His  father  sent  him  a  mes- 
sage saying  that  he  should  rather 
have  found  his  dead  body  than  see 
him  alive  after  sharing  in  such  a  dis- 
grace, whereupon  the  young  man 
killed  himself.  Valer.  Max.  I.e. ; 
Aur.  Vict.  3,72  in  conspectuin  snuin 
vet  nit  accedere :  ille  ob  hoc  dedeciis 
inorteni  sibi  conscivit.  —  prodigum  : 
cf.  Ovid.  Am.  3,  9,  64  sanguinis 
atque  animae prodige  Galle  tuae.  — 
Paullum:  L.  Aemilius  Paullus,  who 
chose  to  die  at  the  battle  of  Can- 
nae (216  B.C.)  rather  than  escape, 
as  he  might  have  done  with  honor, 
according  to  Livy's  account   (22. 

49)- 

39.  gratus:  either  of  Horace's 
own  feeling  of  gratitude  toward  so 
noble  a  character,  or  simply  'pleas- 
ing,' '  in  verse  pleasing  my  readers.' 


96 


CARMINA 


[I,- 12,  48 


40 


45 


gratus  insigni  referam  camena 
Fabriciuraque. 

Hunc  et  intonsis  Curium  capillis 
utilem  bello  tulit  et  Camillum 
saeva  paupertas  et  avitus  apto 
cum  lare  fundus. 

Crescit  occulto  velut  arbor  aevo 
fama  Marcelli ;  micat  inter  omnis 
lulium  sidus  velut  inter  ignis 
luna  minores. 


Cf.  Mart.  4,  55,  \ograto  7ion pudeat 
referre  versn.  —  insigni . . .  camena : 
•  with  the  Muse  that  gives  men 
fame." 

40  ff.  The  following  illustrations 
of  ancient  virtus  and  continentia 
are  C.  Fabricius  Luscinus,  whom 
Pyrrhus  could  neither  frighten  nor 
bribe ;  M'.  Curius  Dentatus,  who 
was  equally  incorruptible  ;  and  M. 
Furius  Camillus,  who  captured 
Veii  (396  B.C.)  and  saved  Rome 
from  the  Gauls  (390  B.C.).  All 
three,  however,  are  chosen  as  ex- 
amples, not  of  great  deeds,  but  of 
great  characters.  Their  natures 
were  proverbial. 

—  intonsis  capillis:  barbers 
were  not  employed  at  Rome  until 
about  300  B.C.  (Plin.  N.  H.  7, 
211);  and  the  custom  of  shaving 
the  beard  and  wearing  the  hair 
short  became  general  much  later. 

43  f .  saeva  :  stern,  as  training 
men  to  hardihood.  All  three  wor- 
thies were  men  of  small  estate,  but 

HOR.  CAR.  —  7 


of  great  native  worth. — apto  cum 
lare  :  '  with  humble  house  befitting 
their  ancestral  farms.' 

45  ff.  While  the  direct  reference 
here  is  to  the  young  Marcellus, 
Octavia's  son,  no  doubt  the  name 
in  this  connection  would  call  up 
to  the  Roman  mind  at  once  that 
M.  Claudius  Marcellus,  who  in  222 
B.C.  won  the  spolia  oph/ia  for  the 
third  and  last  time,  captured  Syra- 
cuse in  212  B.C.,  and  was  the  first 
successful  general  against  Hanni- 
bal. —  occulto . . .  aevo :  with  crescit, 
is  growing  with  the  unmarked 
lapse  of  time.  Cf.  2.  2,  5  extento 
aevo. 

47  f.  lulium  sidus:  the  star  of  the 
Julian  house.  This  use  of  sidus 
('  fortune ')  would  doubtless  call  to 
mind  the  comet  that  appeared 
shortly  after  Julius  Caesar's  mur- 
der (Suet.  /ul.  88).  Cf.  Verg.  E.  9. 
47  ecce  Dionaei  processit  Caesar  is 
astrum.  —  inter  ignis  luna  minores  : 
a  reminiscence  of  his  earlier  phrase, 


97 


I.  12,49] 


HORATI 


5° 


55 


6o 


Gentis  humanae  pater  atque  custos, 
orte  Saturno,  tibi  cura  magni 
Caesaris  f atis  data :  tu  secundo 
Caesare  regnes. 

Ille  sen  Parthos  Latio  imminentis 
egerit  iusto  domitos  triumpho 
sive  subiectos  Orientis  orae 
Seras  et  Indos, 

te  minor  latum  reget  aequus  orbem ; 
tu  gravi  curru  quaties  Olympum, 
tu  parum  castis  inimica  mittes 
fulmina  lucis. 


Epod.  15,  2  caelo  ftdgebat  I  una  se- 
re no  inter  minora  sidera .  I  n  both 
he  may  have  had  in  mind  Sapplio 
Frg.  3,  I  f.  daTepe<;  fxkv  dfjiffn  KaXav 
aeX.dvvav  |  at/^  dTTOKpvTTTOtdL  (j>d€v- 
vov  ciSos-  '  The  stars  about  the 
fair  moon  hide  their  bright  face.' 

49  ff.  The  climax  of  the  ode. 
With  the  idea  expressed,  cf..  Ovid's 
more  extravagant  laudation  MeL 
1 5, 858  ff.  I  up  pit  er  arces  \  tern  per  at 
aetherias  et  miindi  regna  trifor- 
viis ;  I  terra  sub  Augusta :  pater  est 
et  rector  iderque. 

51  f.  secundo  Caesare  :  logically 
part  of  the  prayer,  and  Caesar  be 
second  to  thee  only. 

53  f.  The  'Eastern  Question' 
was  always  an  annoying  one  to 
the  Romans.  Cf.  n.  to  i,  2,  22. — 
egerit:  i.e.  as  captives  before  his 
car.     Ci.  Epod.  "J ,  7  i.  —  iusto  .  .  . 


triumpho :  a  technical  term,  im- 
plying that  all  the  conditions  on 
which  a  triumph  depended  had 
been  fulfilled. 

55  f.  The  Serae  ('  Silk-people.' 
the  Chinese)  were  known  to  the 
Romans  only  through  trade.  They 
and  the  Indians  stand  for  the  great 
remote  East. 

57ff.  te. . .tu. . .tu.  ..:  opposed 
to  ille  v.  53.  Intr.  28c. — te 
minor:  cf.  3,  6,  5  Romatie,  quod 
dis  7ninore/n  te  geris,  imperas. — 
reget  aequus:  rule  in  justice.  For 
the  tense,  see  Intr.  102. 

59!  A  stroke  of  lightning  was 
a  most  important  omen  to  the  Ro- 
mans ;  if  a  sacred  grove  was  struck, 
that  fact  was  proof  that  the  grove 
had  been  polluted,  and  required 
purification.  —  parum  :  cf  n.  to  mi- 
nus I,  2,  27. 


CARMINA 


[I,  13.  10 


13 

To  contrast  with  the  serious  tone  of  the  preceding  ode,  Horace  placed 
here  these  impetuous  verses  to  (an  imaginary)  Lydia.  'When  thou 
praisest  Telephus'  beauty,  Lydia,  I  swell  with  rage ;  my  self-control  all 
goes;  pale  and  weeping  I  show  my  jealous  love.  The  injuries  done  thy 
fair  shoulders  and  sweet  lips  by  that  bold  boy  do  not  prove  a  lasting 
love.     Happy  they  who  love  till  death.'     Metre,  71. 

Cum  tu,  Lydia,  Telephi 

cervicem  roseam,  cerea  Telephi 
laudas  bracchia,  vae  meum 

fervens  difficili  bile  tumet  iecur. 
5  Turn  nee  mens  mihi  nee  color 

certa  sede  manet,  umor  et  in  genas 
furtim  labitur,  arguens 

quam  lentis  penitus  macerer  ignibus. 
Vror,  sen  tibi  candidos 
10  turparimt  umeros  immodicae  mero 


I  f .  Telephi . . .  Telephi :  repro- 
ducing in  jealousy  Lydia's  fond 
repetition  of  her  lover's  name.  Cf 
the  passionate  delaration,  Anacr. 
Frg.  3  KAev/ifouAou  /xev  «ywy  epw.  | 
KAcd^oijAov  8'  iirifxatvoixai.,  |  KAev- 
ftovkov  8e  SiocTKeo).  Note  the  allit- 
eration, cervicem  . .  .  cerea. 

3f.  vae:  da/t!  in  angry  disgust. 
—  tumet  iecur:  t'.e.  in  rage,  iecur 
is  to4)e  taken  literally  as  the  seat 
of  passion  (S.  i,  9,  66  weum  ieair 
tirere  bilis)  that  overflows  with 
savage  wrath.  —  bilis:  equivalent 
to  xo^os- 

5  f.  mens  .  .  .  color,  etc.  :  for  his 
self-control  is  lost,  and  his  color 
comes  and  goes.  Cf.  Apoll.  Rhod. 
3,  297  f.    aTTttXas    8e    /xereTpajTraro 


Trapetas  |  cs  yX.6ov,  aXXoT  ^pevdos, 
aKTjSeirja-L  vooio.  '  Love  turned  her 
tender  cheeks  to  pallor,  again  to 
blushing,  for  the  weariness  of  her 
soul.'  —  certa  sede:  more  closely 
connected  with  color  than  with 
mens,  as  its  position  shows. — ma- 
net: Intr.  35.  —  umor:  cf.  Plat. 
Z"/;//.  68  A.  vSoip  0  BoLKpvov  KoXov/xev. 

8.  quam  lentis :  modified  by 
penitus ;  s/ow.  pervasive.  Cf 
Verg.  A.  5,  682 f.  lentusque  cari- 
nas I  est  vapor. 

9  f .  uror :  the  rudeness  of  my 
rival  in  his  cups,  and  the  passion 
of  his  love,  alike  inflame  me.  — 
turparunt :  harmed  with  bhnus.  — 
immodicae :  modified  by  the  causal 
abl.  mero. 


99 


I,  13,  II]  HORATI 

rixae,  sive  puer  furens 

impressit  memorem  dente  labris  notam. 
Non,  si  me  satis  audias, 

speres  perpetuum  dulcia  barbare 
IS  laedentem  oscula,  quae  Venus 

quinta  parte  sui  nectaris  imbuit. 
Felices  ter  et  amplius, 

quos  inrupta  tenet  copula  nee  nialis 
divolsus  querimoniis 
20  suprema  citius  solvet  amor  die. 

13  f .  non  :    emphatic,   like   the  ever,  succeeding  in  their  attempts. 

English  '  No,  you  would  not,'  etc.  We  cannot  be  sure  that  Horace 

—  dulcia    barbare:    cf.    n.    to    i,  uses  the  phrase  as  equivalent  to 

5,  9.     Intr.  26.  the  Pythagorean  17  irifJiTrT-q  ovaua. 

16.    quinta  parte  :   simply  'the  to  TreyuTTTovov,  the  mediaeval  ^«/;/A? 

best   part.'      Cf.    Meleager  Anth.  essentia    (quintessence),   satisfac- 

Pal.  12,  133  <f)L\r)fjia  to  veKxapcov  tory  as  this  explanation  would  be. 

TawixrjSew;  .  .  .  i/'i'X^s  lySv  TrcTrcoKa  18  ff.     inrupta:       unbreakable. 

fieXi.    In  their  efforts  to  determine  rather  than  '  unbroken ' ;  used  like 

the  degree  of  sweetness  that  Hor-  invidus,  etc.,  in  the  sense  of  an 

ace  means  to  indicate  here,  com-  ?i6.].\n-ilis,-biHs.  —  divolsus  amor: 

mentators  have  spent  an  amusing  cf.  2,  4,   10  adeinptus  Hector.  — 

amount    of  energy  without,  how-  suprema  die :  life''s  last  day. 


lAV^f 


'  O  Ship  of  State,  beware  !  avoid  the  open  sea ;  thou  art  shattered  by 
the  storm  just  past.  Put  into  port.'  Quintilian  8,  6,  44  uses  this  ode 
as  an  illustration  of  an  allegory  —  at  aXXrjyopta  quain  inversionem  inter- 
pretantur,  aid  aliiid  verbis  aliud  sensu  ostendit  ant  etiam  interim  con- 
trarium.  Prins  fit  genus  plerunique  continiiatis  translationibus :  id 
'  o  navis  .  .  .  portum,^  totusqne  ille  Horatii  locus,  quo  navein  pro  re 
publica.,  fluctiis  et  tempestates  pro  bellis  civilibus,  portuni  pro  pace 
atque  concordia  dicit.''  This  figure  is  as  old  as  Theognis,  and  occurs 
frequently  in  Greek  literature.  Horace  took  as  his  model  a  poem  of 
Alcaeus  of  which  the  following  verses  have  been  preserved,  Frg.  18  :  — 

100 


p 


CARMINA  [i,  14,  4 

aavvirrjixL  twv  dvifiwy  arda-LV  •  |  to  fxkv  ydp  evOev  KVfxxi  KvXivhtTai  \ 
TO  8'  tvOtv  dfx.fxe<;  8'  dv  to  fJiiacTOv  \  vat  (fyoprjfjieda  crvv  /xeXxiiva,  \\  ;(ei- 
fxwvi  /JioxOevvTes  /xeyaAw  /AaAa  •  |  Trep  piv  yap  avxAos  laToireSav  «x^''  I 
Aut<^os  Se  Trav  ^dBrjXov  ^Br)  \  kol  AaKtSes  p-eydXat  kut  avTO  ■  |  ^oAaKTi 
S"  dyKvXai'l  do  not  understand  the  winds'  strife,  for  the  wave  rolls, 
now  from  this  side,  now  from  tliat.  and  we  with  our  black  ship  are  car- 
ried in  the  midst,  struggling  hard  with  the  mighty  storm.  For  the 
flood  surrounds  the  mast  step,  the  canvas  is  utterly  destroyed,  great 
rents  are  in  it ;  and  the  yard-ropes  are  loosened.''  The  most  familiar 
modern  example  of  this  allegory  is  Longfellow's  The  Building  of  the 
Ship.     '  Thou,  too,  sail  on,  O  Ship  of  State  ! '  etc. 

Apart  from  other  considerations  the  poem  is  interesting  as  a  sign 
that  Horace's  attitude  toward  the  new  government  had  changed  from 
that  of  his  student  days  when  he  served  in  Brutus'  army  (cf.  v.  17  f.). 
The  date  of  composition  is  most  probably  between  the  battle  of 
Actium,  31  B.c  ,  and  the  reorganization  of  the  empire  in  27  B.C. ;  in 
any  case  it  was  written  at  a  time  when  civil  war  was  lately  past,  but 
.serious  men  still  had  reason  to  be  anxious  for  the  public  peace ;  and 
we  must  remember  that  however  lightly  Horace  treated  many  subjects, 
his  attitude  toward  the  state  was  that  of  earnest  loyalty.  See  Sellar, 
pp.  29,  151  ff.  H^re  Horace  expresses  his  feeling  that  the  state  can- 
not endure  another  civil  war,  and  that  peace  must  be  preserved.  Cf. 
with  this  ode  Epod.  7  and  16.     Metre,  73. 


O  navis,  referent  in  mare  te  novi 
fluctLis  !     O  quid  agis .-'     Fortiter  occupa 
portum  !     Nonne  vides  ut 
nudum  remig:io  latus 


I  f .    in  mare  :  in  antiquity  sail-  4  ff.   This  passage   is   imitated 

ors  kept  near  the   shore.     Cf.  2,  by  Claudian  de  sexto  cons.  Honor. 

10,   I  ff.  —  novi  fluctus :  the  new  132    ff.    qiialis    piratica    puppis 

storms  of  (a  possible)  civil  war.  —  ...  vidtiataque  caesis  \  reinigibiis. 

fortiter  occupa :    make  a   valiant  scissis  velorum  debilis  alis,  |  07'ba 

effort  and  gain  the  port  before  the  gnbernaclis,  antemnis  saucia  frac- 

storm   breaks.  —  occupare   is    fre-  tis  \  ludibriuni  pelagi  vento  iacti- 

quently  used  like  the  Greek  ^Qd-  latnr  et  nnda. 

vuv:  cf.  Epist.  I.  6.  32   cave   ne  — remigio :  oars,  not  'rowers.' 

portus  occupat  alter.  Cf.  Ovid  A.  A.  2,  671  mare  re- 
lax 


1.  14»  5] 


HORATI 


et  malus  celeri  saucius  Africo 
antemnaeque  gemant  ac  sine  funibus 
vix  durare  carinae 
possint  imperiosius 

aequor  ?     Non  tibi  sunt  Integra  lintea, 
non  di,  quos  iterum  pressa  voces  malo. 
Quamvis  Pontica  pinus, 
silvae  filia  nobilis, 


15 


iactes  et  genus  et  nomen  inutile, 
nil  pictis  timidus  navita  puppibus 
fidit.     Tu  nisi  ventis 
debes  ludibrium,  cave. 


migiis  ant  vomere  fitidite  terras. 
—  malus  :  note  the  quantity  ;  cf. 
V.  10  malo.  For  the  rigging  of 
an  ancient  ship  see  Torr  An- 
cient Ships,  p.  78-98.  —  funibus: 
vTTO^wfjiaTa ;  cables  or  girders 
passed  about  the  ship  horizon- 
tally to  strengthen  it  against 
the  force  of  the  waves,  or  in 
the  case  of  warships,  the  shock 
of  ramming.  Cf.  Acts  27,  17  ;  Torr 
A.  S.  p.  41-43. 

7  f .  carinae  :  plural,  where  we 
use  the  singular;  cf.  i,  2,  15  f. 
jHonumenta,  temp  I  a  .  —  imperi- 
osius :  equivalent  to  saeviiis,  in  its 
stern  tyrantiy. 

10.  di :  i.e.  the  little  images  of 
the  gods  that  were  carried  on  the 
poop  deck.  Horace  means  that 
in  the  storm  of  civil  war  the  ship 
of  state  lost  her  protecting  divini- 


ties ;  cf.  Ovid  Her.  16,  114 
accipit  et  picto^  puppis  adunca 
deos,  and  Pers.  6,  29  f.  iacet  ipse 
in  litore  et  una  \  ingentes  de  puppe 
dei. 

1 1  f .  Pontica  pinus  :  Pontus 
was  famous  for  its  ship  timber.  — 
filia:  cf.  Mart.  14,  90  silvae  filia 
^«///'(2^  of  a  citrus  table.  For  the 
arrangement  of  words,  see  Intr. 
19. 

13.  iactes:  boast  est ;  emphatic 
by  position.  — ■  inutile:  added 
predicatively  —  all  in  vain  for 
thee.  —  pictis  :  cf.  the  Homeric  v^c? 
fiLXToirdprjoi.  —  timidus:  'when  he 
is  frightened.'' 

15  f.  tu:  in  direct  address  to 
the  ship.  —  debes :  cf.  Greek 
6(f>\icrKdveiv  StK-qv,  art  bound., 
doomed  to  be  the  sport  of  the 
winds. 


CARMINA  [I,  15,  2 

Nuper  sollicitum  quae  mihi  taedium, 
nunc  desiderium  curaque  non  levis, 
interfusa  nitentis 
20  vites  aequora  Cycladas. 

17  f.  nuper  .  .  .  nunc :  the  fulgentes  Cycladas.  The  south- 
time  of  the  civil  wars  in  contrast  ern  Aegean,  dotted  with  frequent 
to  the  present  moment.  —  sollici-  islands  (Verg.  A.  3,  126  sparsas- 
tum  .  .  .  taedium :  anxiety  and  qtie  per  aequor  Cycladas^  is  sub- 
hcartsickness.  —  desiderium :  ob-  ject  to  many  squalls,  but  the 
ject  of  my  longing.  particular  sea  has  no  significance 

19  f.    nitentis :    cf.    3,    28,     14  in  the  allegory. 

'  When  faithless  Paris  was  carrying  Helen  home  to  Troy,  Nereus  be- 
calmed the  sea  that  he  might  foretell  the  doom  that  was  to  follow  Paris' 
crime.'  Porphyrio  says  that  the  motive  was  taken  from  Bacchylides,  who 
made  Cassandra  prophesy  the  coming  war  and  disaster,  as  Horace  here  has 
Nereus  (Porphyrio  read  Proteus) .  If  Porphyrio  be  right,  Horace's  model 
has  been  lost  to  us ;  the  extant  fragment  14  Blass,  in  which  Menelaus  warns 
the  Trojans  to  remember  the  justice  of  Zeus,  cannot  be  that  to  which 
Porphyrio  refers.  The  theme  is  essentially  epic  and  does  not  properly 
fall  within  the  province  of  lyric  poetry;  and  Horace  has  not  been  very 
successful  in  his  treatment  of  it.  While  some  dramatic  skill  is  shown, 
the  episode  chosen  has  no  natural  limits  and  therefore  offered  him  little 
opportunity  for  a  climax ;  the  length  of  the  prophecy  was  determined 
solely  by  the  poet's  inclination.  That  Horace  learned  to  handle  narrative 
subjects  later  is  proved  by  Book  3.  Odes  1 1  and  27,  with  which  this  ode 
should  be  carefully  compared.  For  Horace's  view  as  to  the  proper  field 
for  lyric  verse,  see  Book  ?.,  Ode  12. 

For  the  reasons  given  above  and  be.cause  of  the  technical  defect  of 
v.36,  we  may  regard  this  as  one  of  Horace's  earlier  studies.    Metre,  72. 

Pastor  cum  traheret  per  freta  navibus 
Idaeis  Helenen  perfidus  hospitam, 

I .  pastor :  Paris,  whom  Verg.  es  "iSav.  —  traheret :  was  carrying 
■^-  7i  363  calls    Phrygius  pastor.       away. 

Cf.   also    Bion    2,  10  apnaae  rav  2.   Idaeis:  /.^.  their  timber  grew 

EXtvav  Tr69'  6   ^ovKoXos,    aye   8'      on  Mt.  Ida.  —  perfidus  hospitam: 

103 


1. 15. 3] 


HORATI 


ingrato  celeres  obruit  otio 
ventos  ut  caneret  fera 

Nereus  fata  :  '  Mala  ducis  avi  domum 
quam  multo  repetet  Graecia  milite, 
coniurata  tuas  rumpere  nuptias 
et  regnum  Priami  vetus. 

Heu  heu,  quantus  equis,  quantus  adest  viris 
sudor !     Quanta  moves  funera  Dardanae 
genti !     lam  galeam  Pallas  et  aegida 
currusque  et  rabiem  parat. 


cf.  n.  to  I,  5,  9.  Intr.  26.  No 
greater  crime  was  known  to  an- 
tiquity than  violation  of  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  hospitality.  With 
this  epithet  of  Paris,  cf.  3,  3,  26 
faviosus  hospes,  and  Prop.  2,  34, 
7  hospes  in  hospitiiim  Menelao 
venit  adulter. 

3  ff.  ingrato  .  .  .  otio:  as  the 
winds  favored  the  lovers  in  their 
flight.  —  caneret :  the  regular  word 
of  prophecy.  Cf.  Epod.  13,  11 
nobilis  ut  grandi  cecinit  centaurus 
alumno. 

5  ff.  Note  the  dramatic  force 
of  the  prophecy,  and  the  many 
reminiscences  of  the  Iliad.  —  Ne- 
reus :  son  of  Pontus  and  Tellus, 
father  of  Thetis.  Cf.  Hesiod 
Theog.  233  ff.  Nr;/oax  8'  onf/evBia 
Kol  aX-qOea  yeivaro  IIovtos,  | 
TrptajivTaTov  Tratowv  •  avrap  KoXe- 
ovaL  yepovTa,  \  ovveKa  vr]fitpTy}%  re 
Ktti  r]Tno<i.  ovh\  ^e/xKTTi'wv  |  XrjdtTat, 
aXXa.  StKaia  koX  rjirLi  hrjvea  oTSev. 
—  mala  .  .  .  avi:  cf.  3,  3,  61  alite 
lugubri.  Cf.  Catull.  6 1 ,  20  bona  alite. 


7  f.  coniurata :  in  solemn  com- 
pact at  Aulis.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  4, 
425  f.  where  Dido  says,  non  ego 
cum  Danais  Troianavi  exscindere 
gentem  \  Aulide  iura^i ;  Kunpide?,, 
Iph.  in  Aul.  49  ff.  makes  Agamem- 
non tell  of  the  earlier  oath,  by 
which  the  suitors  bound  them- 
selves to  protect  and  avenge  the 
one  who  should  win  Helen. — 
regnum :  with  rumpere  as  Sen.  H. 
F.  79  Titanas  ausos  rumpere  iin- 
perijim  loins. 

9  f .  quantus  equis  .  .  .  sudor : 
Horace  had  in  mind  //.  2,  388  ff. 
tSpwaei  p.iv  rtv  TfAa/xwv  d/x(^i  arr}- 
$ecr<f>LV  I  ao-TTiScy;  ap.<^L^p6Tr]<i.  irepl 
8'  f-yx^i-  X^'^P"-  '^«/^£''■'■«•1  ■  I  topoicrei. 
8i  rev  tTTTTOS  iv^oov  apfw.  TiTaivwv. 
—  funera :  disasters. 

II.  galeam  Pallas,  etc.:  a 
reminiscence  of  //.  5,  738  ff.  ap-ff)! 
8'  ap'  to/Aoicrtv  ^dXer  alyCSa  Ova- 
<Tav6f.(T(Tav  I  8etVT/v,  .  .  •  Kpari  o 
kiT  a.p.(f>i(f)a\ov  Kvvi-qv  $€to  rerpa- 
(ftdXrjpov  I  XP'^^^^V^-  —  aegida : 
the  breastplate  of  Athena,  which 


104 


CARMINA 


[I,  15.  20 


Nequiquam'  Veneris  praesidio  f erox 
pectes  caesariem  grataque  feminis 
15  imbelli  cithara  carmina  divides  ; 

nequiquam  thalamo  gravis 

hastas  et  calami  spicula  Cnosii 
vitabis  strepitumque  et  celerem  sequi 
Aiacem :  tamen,  heu,  serus  adulteros 
20  crinis  pulvere  collines. 


is  represented  on  statues  and 
paintings  as  a  mail  corselet,  fringed 
with  snakes  and  adorned  with  the 
Medusa's  head  in  the  center.  See 
Baumeister,  nos.  166-170.  —  ra- 
biem  parat :  cf.  Ovid  Met,  13,  554 
se  arm  at  et  itistritit  ira. 

13  ff.  Cf.  Hector's  reproachful 
words  //.  3,  54  f.  ovK  a.v  tol 
^paiCTflT)  KiOapis  TO.  T€  ^wp'  'Afjtpo- 
8tT7;s,  I  ^re  Kop-r)  to  tc  eioos,  or  iv 
KovLyai  p.LyuT)%.  —  nequiquam :  all 
in  vain,  emphatic.  —  ferox :  in 
scorn,  made  so  bold  by.  —  grata 
feminis  .  .  .  imbelli  cithara  .  .  . 
thalamo  :  all  said  contemptuously. 

15  f .  carmina  divides  :  appar- 
ently equivalent  to  /tteAt^eiv,  '  to 
sing  rhythmically.'  —  nequiquam : 
Intr.  28c  — thalamo:  cf.  //.  3, 
380  if.  Tov  8'  i$rjpTra$'  'AcfypoBiTrj  | 
ptia  /laA  (lis  re  ^eds»  €KaAvi/'e  8' 
ap  rjipi  TToXXfj,  I  KaS  8'  eld'  iv 
daXdp.w  €vwSu  KrjtatvTi. 

17.  calami  spicula  Cnosii:  light 
arrows  in  contrast  to  the  heavy 
spears  (gravis,  equivalent  to  the 
Homeric  epithets  fipidv,  fitya. 
(TTL^apov).     The  adj.   Cnosii,  re- 


ferring to  Cnosus,  the  chief  city 
of  Crete,  is  here  employed,  since 
the  Cretans  were  famous  archers. 
Cf  Verg.  A.  5,  206  Cnosia  spi- 
cula. 

17  f.  vitabis  :  try  to  avoid  the 
din  of  battle  (strepitum)  and  the 
forefighters  of  the  Greeks.  In  the 
Iliad  Paris  is  represented  as  shrink- 
ing from  battle,  only  appearing 
occasionally  on  sudden  impulse. 
Homer  never  opposes  him  to  Ajax. 
son  of  Oileus,  to  whom  Horace 
apparently  gives  the  first  place 
here  simply  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most Greek  heroes.  —  celerem 
sequi  Aiacem  :  cf.  //.  2,  527  'OtA^os 
Ta.-)Q3<i  Atas.  For  the  infinitive, 
see  Intr.  108. 

19  f .  tamen  :  referring  back  to 
nequiquam,  nequiquam ;  •  in  spite 
of  all  thy  own  efforts  and  Aphro- 
dite's aid.'  —  serus  :  an  adj.  where 
we  employ  an  adverb.  Cf.  i,  2, 
45  serus  iti  caelum  redeas,  and 
//.  I,  424  x^'^o?  1^17  Zcv's. 
—  crinis  .  .  .  collines :  cf.  Verg. 
A.  12,  gg  da  .  .  .  foedare  in  pul- 
vere crines. 


105 


1, 15.21] 


HORATI 


Non  Laertiaden,  exitium  tuae 
gentis,  non  Pylium  Nestora  respicis  ? 
Vrgent  impavidi  te  Salaminius 
Teucer,  te  Sthenelus  sciens 

25  pugnae,  sive  opus  est  imperitare  equis, 

non  auriga  piger.     Merionen  quoque 
nosces.     Ecce  furit  te  reperire  atrox 
Tydides,  melior  patre, 

quem  tu,  cervus  uti  vallis  in  altera 
30  visum  parte  lupum  graminis  immemor 

sublimi  fugies  mollis  anhelitu, 
non  hoc  pollicitus  tuae. 


21-28.  Laertiaden :  Ulysses 
stole  the  Palladium  and  so  sealed 
the  fate  of  Troy.  —  Nestora  :  who 
kept  the  Greeks  from  abandoning 
the  siege  after  Achilles'  death. 
Od.  24,  51  ff.  —  Teucer:  brother 
of  Ajax  and  son  of  Telemon ;  cf. 
I,  7,  21  ff.  —  respicis:  'as  thou 
glancest  backward  in  thy  flight.' 
The  prophetic  god  sees  the  future 
so  vividly  that  he  conceives  of 
the  pursuit  of  Paris  as  already 
begun. 

24  f .  Sthenelus :  charioteer  of 
Diomedes.  For  the  description 
of  him  compare  the  account  of 
the  Cicones  Od.  9,  49  f.  iTnarrd- 
fievoL  fikv  d<f}  iTnr(i)v  \  dvSpacri  fidp- 
vacrdai  koI  o6l  ^(pr]  Tre$6v  iovra. 
—  pugnae:  objective  gen.  with 
sciens. 

26  ff.  Merionen :  esquire  of  Ido- 
meneus  ;  cf .   i ,  6,  15.  —  Tydides  : 


Diomedes  was  one  of  the  greatest 
heroes  after  Achilles.  —  melior  pa- 
tre: a  reminiscence  of  //.  4,  405. 
where  Sthenelus  says  ^/acis  tol 
TrarepMv  /xey  d/ACtVoves  cvxo/xed^ 
eivai. 

29  ff .  Note  the  involved  order ; 
Intr.  21. 

31.  sublimi  .  .  .  anhelitu:  prop- 
erly ofthe  panting  hind,  who  throws 
his  head  high  in  air  (sublimi)  as  he 
flees;  applied  here  to  Paris  through 
a  confusion  of  the  comparison  and 
the  thing  compared.  Cf.  Stat.  T/ic'/>. 
II,  239  minthis  exanimi  snspen- 
sus  pedora  cursu.  — mollis :  either 
weak  with  running,  or  timid  b\ 
nature. 

32.  Cf.  Helen's  taunt  to  Paris 
//.  3,  430  7]  fjxv  8r]  irpiv  y'  e^X^' 
apr]'i(f)i\ov  Mevekdov  \  arj  re  /3i7] 
Koi  X^P^*-  '^'^^  *yX^''  (t>^pT€po<; 
eivai. 


106 


CARMINA  [i,  i6,  2 

Iracunda  diem  proferet  Ilio 
matronisque  Phrygum  classis  Achillei : 
35  post  certas  hiemes  uret  Achaicus 

ignis  Iliacas  domos.' 

33-36.  The  climax  of  the  proph-  classis  Achillei :  as  if  the  entire  fleet 

ecy.      Up  to  this  point  only  the  shared  Achilles' wrath. — proferet: 

disgraces    and   dangers   of    Paris  delay. — hiemes  :  equivalent  to  rt«- 

have  been  foretold;   these  verses  710s.      Cf.  i,  11,  4  and  n. — ignis: 

definitely  announce  the  fall  of  Troy.  this  use  of  the  trochee  where  Hor- 

The  whole  strophe  is  a  reminis-  ace   ordinarily   has    an    irrational 

cence  of  Hector's  prophecy  //.  6,  spondee,  as  well  as  the  repetition 

448  f.  £o-cr€Tai y]\ua.p  or  av  ttot  oXwXt]  of  Iliacas  after  Ilio  (v.  33)  are  cited 

"lAios  ipT)  I  Kttt  llpiafj.0?  Koi  Axios  by  critics  as  proof  of  the  early  date 

iiJfXfxeXiti)  HpidixoLo.  —  iracunda ...  of  this  ode. 

16 

'  Fair  maid,  do  what  thou  wilt  with  my  abusive  verses.  Passion  shakes 
the  mind  more  than  that  frenzy  with  which  Dindymene,  or  Apollo,  or 
Dionysus  inspire  their  servants.  Prometheus  gave  mankind  the  violence 
of  the  lion,  and  wild  rage  drove  Thyestes  to  his  end  and  has  doomed 
cities.  Beware  and  check  thy  wrath.  I  too  have  suffered  madness,  but 
now  I  would  recant  my  cruel  linesri  forgive,  and  give  me  back  thy  heart. 

A  palinode  which  Porphyrio  wished,  without  warrant,  to  connect 
with  Tyndaris  of  the  following  ode.  Neither  can  it  be  associated  with 
any  extant  epode.  Its  very  extravagance  shows  that  the  verses  were  x 
not  written  with  serious  purpose.  Cf.  the  mock  palinode  Epod.  17.  It 
may  be  a  study  from  the  Greek,  although  Acron's  statement,  imitatus 
est  Stesichorum,  need  mean  nothing  more  than  that  Horace  got  the  sug- 
gestion of  a  palinode  from  the  Sicilian  poet.  The  date  is  uncertain, 
although  the  prosody  of  v.  21  may  indicate  that  it  is  one  of  the  earlier 
poems.     Metre,  68. 

O  matre  pulchra  filia  pulchrior, 

quern  criminosis  cumqiie  voles  modum 

2.  criminosis  .  .  .  iambis  :     abu-      /^ovs.     The  rapid  movement  of  the 

si7>e,   slajiderotis.      Cf.    Meleager      iambus  is  suited  to  invective,  and  it 

//////.  Pal.  7,  352  v^pujTf\pa<i  lap.-      was  first  employed  for  that  purpose, 

107 


I,  i6,  3] 


HORATI 


pones  iambis,  sive  flamma 
sive  mari  libet  Hadriano. 

Non  Dindymene,  non  adytis  quatit 
mentem  sacerdotum  incola  Pythius, 
non  Liber  aeque,  non  acuta 
sic  geminant  Corybantes  aera 

tristes  ut  irae,  quas  neque  Noricus 
deterret  ensis  nee  mare  naufragum 
nee  saevus  ignis  nee  tremendo 
luppiter  ipse  mens  tumultu. 


according  to  tradition,  by  Archilo- 
clius,  who  was  Horace's  model  in 
many  of  the  Epodes.  Cf.  Epist.  2, 
3,  79  A?-chilochiim  propria  rabies 
armavit  iainbo.  —  quern . . .  cumque : 
cf.  n.  to  I,  6,  3. 

3.  pones:  permissive;  cf.  i,  7, 
I  laudabunt  alii,  etc. 
^  5  ff.  Examples  of  the  furor  di- 
viniis.  —  Dindymene  :  Cybele  or 
Rhea,  identical  with  the  Magna 
Mater  oi\\\&  Romans,  named  from 
the  Phrygian  mountain  Dindymus. 
This  was  near  Pessinus,  where  the 
chief  shrine  of  the  goddess  was. 
Her  orgiastic  worship,  in  which  her 
priests,  the  Corybantes,  danced 
and  cut  themselves  with  knives, 
was  introduced  at  Rome  in  204  B.C. 

6.  The  Pythia,  priestess  of  Apollo, 
had  her  seat  in  the  innermost  shrine 
(«^/a)ofthe  temple,  where,  inspired 
with  a  divine  ecstasy,  as  the  an- 
cients believed,  she  gave  utterance 
to  prophecy.  For  the  ecstatic  in- 
spiration of  the  Cumaean  Sibyl  see 
Verg.  A.6,TJ  if.  —  incola  Pythius : 


ke  whose  hotne  is  Pytho,  i.e.  Apollo. 
Pytho  was  the  ancient  name  of 
Delphi.  With  the  phrase,  cf.  Catull. 
64,  228  (of  Athene),  incola  Itoni. 

7.  Liber :  the  orgiastic  celebra- 
tions of  the  bacchanals  were  in- 
spired by  the  god.  —  non  acuta,  etc. : 
the  comparison  is  thus  half  inter- 
rupted, '  Neither  the  rites  of  Cybele, 
nor  of  Apollo,  nor  of  Bacchus  affect 
the  mind  so  much  (aeque) — no,  nor 
do  the  Corybantes  clash  their  shrill 
cymbals  with  so  much  effect  (sic) 
—  as  bursts  of  passion  distress  the 
mind.'  —  geminant ...  aera :  of  the 
cymbals.  Cf.  Stat.  Theb.  8,  221 
gemina  aera  sonant. 

9  ff.  Noricus :  the  iron  of  Nori- 
cum  was  most  esteemed.  Cf.  Epod. 
17,  71 .  —  ensis, . . .  mare, .  .  .  ignis : 
proverbial  obstacles.  Cf.  6".  i.  i, 
39  ignis,  mare,  ferrum,  nil  obstef 
tibi ;  and  Epist.  i,  i,  4.6 per  mare, 
panperiemfugiens,per  saxa,per  ig- 
nis. —  mare  naufragum :  the  wreck- 
ing sea.  CfTibulI  2,^,\onanfraga 
.  .  .  unda  maris. 


108 


CARMINA 


[l,  l6,  22 


'5 


Fertur  Prometheus,  addere  principi 
limo  coactus  particulam  undique 
desectam,  et  insani  leonis 

vim  stomacho  adposuisse  nostro. 

Irae  Thyesten  exitio  gravi 
stravere  et  altis  urbibus  ultimae 
stetere  causae  cur  perirent 
funditus  imprimeretque  muris 

hostile  aratrum  exercitus  insolens. 
Compesce  mentem  !     Me  quoque  pectoris 


13-16.  While  the  belief  that  man 
possesses  the  characteristics  of  the 
lower  animals  is  very  ancient,  the 
form  of  the  myth  which  Horace 
gives  here  is  not  found  in  any  ear- 
lier author.  —  principi:  principal, 
primordial;  'primitive  clay.'  — 
coactus:  for  all  the  elements  had 
been  exhausted  in  making  the 
other  animals;  therefore  Prome- 
theus was  obliged  to  take  a  por- 
tion from  each  creature  (undique) 
for  man. 

15!  et :  even.  —  leonis  vim:  i.e. 
violentiavi.  —  stomacho :  as  the  seat 
of  passion.  Cf.  i,  6, 6  Pelidae  sto- 
inachum  cedere  nescii. 

17.  irae:  resuming  the  irae  of 
V.9.  —  Thyesten:  cf.  i.d,^  saevani 
Pelopis  doninm,  and  n.  The  spe- 
cial reference  here  is  to  the  blind 
rage  of  Atreus,  who  served  Thves- 
tes'  son  to  him  at  a  banquet.  The 
Thyestes  of  Varius  had  recently 
been  published  when  Horace  wrote. 
Cf.  n.  to  I.  6,  I. 


18  f.  altis  urbibus :  e.g.  Thebes, 
which  fell  under  the  wrathful  curse 
of  Oedipus.  —  ultimae  .  .  .  causae: 
the  causes  farthest  back,  and  so* 
'first.'  —  stetere:  hardly  stronger 
than/«^r^. 

20.  imprimeret  muris,  etc. :  as 
the  walls  of  a  new  city  were  marked 
out  with  a  plow,  so  after  the  raz- 
ing of  a  captured  city,  a  plow  was 
dragged  across  the  ground  as  a 
sign  that  the  spot  was  restored  to 
its  primitive  condition.  Propert. 
4,  9.  41  f.  tnoenia  cum  Graio  Nep- 
tunia  pressit  aratro  \  victor;  Isid. 
Orig.  15,  2  tirbs  aratro  condittir, 
aratro  vertitiir ;  and  Jeretniah  26, 
18  'Zion  shall  be  plowed  like  a 
field.' 

21.  ex||ercitus:  but  two  other 
cases  of  such  caesura  are  found,  i , 
37.  5  ;  2,  17.  21.  Intr.  50.  Both 
the  poems  belong  to  the  year  30 

B.C. 

22.  me  quoque :  the  familiar  per- 
sonal illustration.     Intr.  30. 


[09 


I,  1 6,  23]  HORATI 

temptavit  in  dulci  iuventa 
fervor  et  in  celeres  iambos 

25  misit  furentem  :  nunc  ego  mitibus 

mutare  quaero  tristia,  dum  mihi 
fias  recantatis  arnica 

opprobriis  animumque  reddas. 

24.  fervor:    'the  fever  of  pas-  i,  34,  12  itiia  summis  mutare. — 

sion.' — celeres  iambos:   cf.  n.  to  dum...  fias:  the  terms  on  which 

V.  2  above.  —  mitibus  .  .  .  tristia:  Horace     recants;      his     offended 

kind  .  .  .  cruel.     For  the  cases,  lady-love  is  to  give  him  back  her 

see  Intr.  98 ;  for  the  number,  cf.  heart. 


17 

An  invitation  to  his  mistress,  Tyndaris.  '  Faunus  often  leaves  tlie 
Lycean  Mount  for  Lucretilis  and  guards  my  goats  from  harm  (1-4). 
When  he  is  near,  my  flocks  wander  all  in  safety ;  when  his  pipe  echoes, 
they  fear  not  even  the  wolves  of  Mars  (5-12).  Not  they  alone  are 
cared  for;  the  gods  care  for  me  as  well  and  for  my  Muse.  Here,  Tyn- 
daris, is  rustic  plenty  ;  here  in  quiet  nook  thou  mayest  sing  the  old-time 
songs ;  here  quaff  the  innocent  Lesbian  wine  and  have  no  fear  of  quar- 
rels or  of  harm  from  jealous  Cyrus  (13-28).' 

On  Horace's  Sabine  farm  presented  to  him  by  Maecenas  in  34  B.C., 
see  Intr.  5.  Sellar,  p.  30  f.  The  date  of  composition  is  unknown. 
Metre,  68. 

Velox  amoenum  saepe  Lucretilem 

mutat  Lycaeo  Faunus  et  igneam 

I.   velox:    emphatic,    with    all  that  in  v.  26  of  the  preceding  ode. 

speed.  —  Lucretilem:     apparently  Intr.  98. 

Monte  Gennaro,  the  highest  moun-  2.   Lycaeo:      a     mountain     in 

tain   of  the    range    between   the  southwestern  Arcadia,  where  Pan 

Licenza  valley  in  which  Horace's  had  a  shrine    (/juivreioj/) .  —  Fau- 

farm  was  situated,  and  the  Cam-  nus:   an   old    Italian  divinity,   of 

pagna. — mutat:     note    that    the  agriculture  and  of  cattle  (3,  18), 

construction  here  is  the  reverse  of  sometimes  prophetic  (Verg.  A.  7, 

1 10 


CARMINA 


[i.  17.  '4 


defendit  aestatem  capellis 

usque  meis  pluviosque  ventos. 

Impune  tutum  per  nemus  arbutos 
quaerunt  latentis  et  thyma  deviae 
olentis  uxores  mariti, 

nee  viridis  metuunt  colubras 

nee  Martialis  haediliae  lupos, 
utcumque  dulci,  Tyndari,  fistula 
valles  et  Vsticae  cubantis 
levia  personuere  saxa. 

Di  me  tuentur,  dis  pietas  mea 
et  musa  cordi  est.     Hie  tibi  copia 


48.  81),  identified  here  with  the 
Arcadian  god  Pan,  opei/JaTT^s, 
montivagus.  Cf.  Ovid.  Fast.  2, 
285  f.  ipse  deiis  velox  discurrere 
gaudet  in  altis  \  inontibus.  He 
was  the  inventor  of  the  syrinx 
(fistula  V.  10).  —  igneam  .  .  . 
aestatem  :  the  fiery  summer  heat. 
3f.  capellis  :  dative.  Cf.  Verg. 
E.  7, 47  solstitiutn pecori  defendite. 

—  usque  :  equivalent  to  semper. 

5  f .  impune  tutum :  note  the 
force  of  the  cumulation.  —  impune 
is  connected  with  deviae,  which 
implies  a  carelessness  in  their  wan- 
dering search  (quaerunt)  for  food. 

—  latentis :    i.e.  among  the  other 
trees  and  shrubs. 

7.  olentis  uxores  mariti:  an 
awkward  phrase,  made  offensive 
by  translation,  —  the  wives  of 
the  unsavory  lord.  —  mariti :  cf. 
Theoc.  8,  49  w  Tpayt,  rav  XcvKav 


alyav  avcp,  and  Verg.  £.  7,  7  7'ir 
gregis  ipse  caper.  Mart.  14, 140,  i 
imitates  the  phrase  in  his  olentis 
barba  mariti. 

9.  Martialis :  a  natural  epithet 
of  the  wolf  as  sacred  to  Mars. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  9,  '^66  Ma?-tius  lupus. 
Faunus  as  protector  of  cattle 
guards  them  from  the  mountain 
wolves.  —  haediliae :  ////  kidlets 
(sc.  met u tint).  This  word  is 
found  only  here  :  it  is  formed  from 
haedus,  as  porcilia  from  porcus. 

10  f.  utcumque:  temporal. — 
fistula :  the  god's  pipes,  the  sy- 
rinx, not  Tyndaris'  flute,  is  meant. 
—  Vsticae  :  according  to  Porphy- 
rio  one  of  the  Sabine  mountains 
with  gently  sloping  (cubantis) 
sides. 

14  ff .  cordi :  dear ;  originally 
Vike/rugi,  a  predicate  dative.  Note 
the  cumulative  force  of  the  follow- 


I,  17,  15]  HORATI 

15  manabit  ad  plenum  benigno 

ruris  honorum  opulenta  cornu  ; 

hie  in  reducta  valle  Caniculae 
vitabis  aestus  et  fide  Tela 
dices  laborantis  in  uno 
20  Penelopen  vitreamque  Circen  ; 

hie  innocentis  pocula  Lesbii 
duees  sub  umbra,  nee  Semeleius 
eum  Marte  confundet  Thyoneus 
proeUa,  nee  metues  protervum 


ing  epithets  —  ad  plenum,  benigno 
(/>.  large,  generous),  opulenta. — 
copia :  here  the  contents  of  the 
horn.  —  cornu:  the  horn  of  For- 
tune, which  Hercules  wrenched 
from  the  river  god  Achelous  and 
presented  to  the  goddess.  See 
Baumeister,  nos.  605, 2037.  — ruris 
honorum :  fruits  and  flowers.  Cf. 
6".  2,  5,  12  f.  diilcia  poina  \  et  quos- 
ciimqite  feret  cultus  tibi  fundus 
honor es. 

17  f.  reducta  valle :  cf.  Epod. 
2,  II  f.  ant  in  reducta  valle 
viugientiuni  \  prospectat  errantis 
greges.  —  Caniculae  :  properly  Pro- 
cyon,  but  here  not  distinguished 
from  Sirius.  —  fide  Teia  :  Teos 
in  Ionia  was  the  native  city  of 
Anacreon,  who  sang  of  love  and 
wine. — dices:  shalt  sing.  Cf. 
I,  6,  5.  —  laborantis:  sc.  amore, 
epioTi  TTOvovaai.  The  object  of 
their  love  is  expressed  by  in 
with  the  abl.  Cf.  Catull.  64, 
98  (of   Ariadne)    in  /lavo  saepe 


/lospite  suspirantem.  —  uno  :  Odys- 
seus. 

20.  vitream :  a  natural  epithet 
of  Circe  who  was  a  sea  nymph. 
Cf.  Stat.  Silv.  I,  3,  85  vitreae 
iuga  perfida  Circes,  and  C.  4,  2,  3 
vitreo  panto.  —  Penelopen  .  .  . 
Circen :  the  faithful  wife  and  the 
treacherous  sorceress  contrasted. 

21  f.  innocentis :  explained  by 
the  following  verses,  '  no  drunken 
quarrels  shall  result  from  its  use.' 
—  duces  :  shalt  quaff.  —  Semeleius 
.  .  .  Thyoneus :  a  combination  of 
two  metronymics  imitated  by  a 
poet  in  the  Anth.  Lat.  i,  751  Se- 
meleie  Bacche  .  .  .  laete  Thyoneu.  — 
Thyone  (cf.  Ovu)  =  '  to  rush,'  '  to 
be  violently  excited  '),  whom  some 
legends  make  the  mother  of  Diony- 
sus, is  identified  with  Semele  in 
the  older  Homeric  Hytnn  to  Diony- 
sus V.  21,  and  by  Pindar  P.  3,  176. 

23  f .  confundet  .  .  .  proelia : 
a  variation  of  the  common  niiscere, 
committere  proelia. 


CARMINA 


[I,  i8,  2 


25 


suspecta  Cyrum,  ne  male  dispari 
incontinentis  iniciat  manus 
et  scindat  haerentem  coronam 
crinibus  immeritamque  vestem. 


25.  suspecta  :  for  rude  Cyrus  is 
jealous. — male  dispari:  a  bad  match, 
i.e.  uo  match,  ci.  i,  9.  24  male per- 
tinacisxid  n.  to  minus  i,  2,  27. 

26  ff.  Tyndaris  is  to  be  in  festal 
dress,  which  Cyrus  would  injure  if 
he  should  find  her.     Cf.  Propert. 


2,  5,  21  ^.  nee  tibi  periuro  scindam 
de  cor  pore  iiestem,  \  nee  mea  prae- 
cliisas  fregerit  ira  fores,  \  nee  tibi 
conexos  iratus  carpere  crines  \  nee 
duris  ausim  laedere  poUicibns.  — 
immeritam  :  the  dress  shares  Tyn- 
daris" innocence. 


18 

In  praise  of  wine.  '  Thou  shouldst  before  all,  Varus,  plant  the  vine 
about  Tibur,  for  total  abstainers  find  life  hard.  Wine  drives  away  cares  : 
but  immoderate  use  brings  quarrels,  boasting,  and  bad  faith." 

The  ode  was  suggested  by  a  poem  of  Alcaeus,  of  which  Horace  has 
translated  at  least  the  beginning.  Frg.  44  /ixT/Sev  aXKo  (f>vT€varj';  irponpov 
StVSptov  afiiriXu).  He  has.  however,  after  his  usual  manner  given  his 
verses  an  Italian  setting.  The  date  of  composition  is  unknown.  The 
Varus  addressed  was  probably  Quintilius  Varus,  whose  death  is  lamented 
in  I,  24.     Metre,  54. 

Nullam,  Vare,  sacra  vite  prius  severis  arborem 
circa  mite  solum  Tiburis  et  moenia  Catili. 


I.  sacra :  as  the  vine  is  the 
gift  of  Bacchus.  Cf.  Ennius  Trag. 
107  f.  R.  Bacchus  pater  \  .  ■  ■  vitis 
inventor  sacrae.  The  position  of 
sacra  implies  that  this  gift  is  not 
to  be  abused,  but  enjoyed  in  proper 
fashion  as  coming  from  the  gods. 
—  severis  :  plant.  Cf.  Caecilius 
apud  Cic.  C.  M.  24  serit  arbores 
quae  alter i  saeclo  prosint. — arbo- 
rem :  a  generic  term  of  wider 
scope  than    our    English    'tree.' 

HOR.   CAR.  — 8  I 


Plin.  A''.  H.  14,  9  vites  iure  apud 
priscos  magnitudine  quoque  inter 
arbores  niemerabantur. 

2.  circa :  used  in  the  same 
loose  way  as  our  English  '  about ' ; 
with  solum  it  denotes  the  place 
where,  with  moenia  it  means 
'near',  'in  the  neighborhood  of.' 
—  mite :  soft,  and  hence  fertile. 
Cf.  V^erg.  G.  2,  226  ff.  for  an  ac- 
count of  the  best  soil  for  vines.  — 
Tiburis :     for    Horace's    love    of 


13 


I,  i8,  3] 


HORATI 


Siccis  omnia  nam  dura  deus  proposuit  neque 
mordaces  aliter  diffugiunt  sollicitudines. 
Quis  post  vina  gravem  militiam  aut  pauperiem  crepat  ? 
Quis  non  te  potius,  Bacche  pater,  teque,  decens  Venus? 
Ac  ne  quis  modici  transiliat  munera  Liberi, 
Centaurea  monet  cum  Lapithis  rixa  super  mero 
debellata,  monet  Sithoniis  non  levis  Euhius, 

i.e.  equivalent  to  qui  inodutn  amat. 
Cf.  I,  27,  3  vereciindiis  Bacchus. 

8  f .  The  first  of  tlie  examples 
given  to  enforce  the  warning  — 
the  quarrel  between  the  Centaurs 
and  the  Lapithae  at  the  marriage 
of  Peirithoos  and  Hippodamia  — 
was  a  favorite  subject  of  literary 
and  plastic  art.  Cf.  e.g.  Od.  21, 
294-304;  Ovid.  Met.  12,  210  ff. 
The  contest  was  represented  on 
the  pediment  of  the  temple  of 
Zeus  at  Olympia,  and  on  the 
metopes  of  the  Parthenon.  — 
super  mero:  local;  over  tJieir  wine. 

9.  debellata  :  note  the  force  of 
the  prefix  ;  the  brawl  ended  in  the 
destruction  of  the  Centaurs.  — 
Sithoniis :  a  Thracian  people 
dwelling  on  the  peninsula  Pal- 
lene.  Tradition  said  that  Diony- 
sus destroyed  the  giants  who  once 
dwelt  there.  Whether  the  refer- 
ence here  is  to  some  feature  of  the 
myth  unknown  to  us  or  to  the 
familiar  impetuous  character  of 
the  intemperate  Thracians  cannot 
be  determined.  Cf.  i,  27,  i  f. 
natis  in  usum  laetitiae  scyphis  \ 
pugnare  Thracum  est.  —  non 
levis  :  carrying  the  emphasis,  — 
the  harshness  of,  etc. — Euhius  :  a 


Tibur,  see  i,  7,  11  ff. — moenia 
Catili :  Cati(l)lus  with  his  brothers 
Coras  and  Tiburnus  from  Arcadia 
founded  Tibur,  and  gave  his  name 
to  the  mountain  that  overhangs 
the  town.  It  is  still  Monte  Catillo. 
Here  the  form  with  the  short  pe- 
nult is  chosen  for  the  metre's  sake. 

3.  siccis  :  total  abstainers.  For 
the  opposite,  udus  or  uvidus,  cf., 

1,  7,  22  ;  4,  s,  39.  —  nam  :  for  the 
position, see  Intr. 31.  —  dura:  'life's 
rough  side.' 

4.  mordaces  :  car  king.  Cf.  2,  11, 
1 8  curae  edaces ;  and  Verg.  A.  1,261 
quando  haec  te  cur  a  remordet.  — 
aliter :  i.e.  without  the  use  of  wine. 

5.  gravem  militiam,  etc. :  the 
hardships  of  war  or  of  petty 
estate.  —  crepat :  babbles,  harps  on. 

6.  pater  :  in  recognition  of  the 
god  as  giver  of  the  vine  and  other 
blessings.     Cf.    3,   3,    13;    Epist. 

2,  I,  5  Liber  pater.  Here  he  is 
named  with  Venus,  as  wine  and 
love  are  boon  companions.  — 
decens :  comely,  '  fair  in  face  and 
figure.'  Cf.  i,  4,  6  Gratiae  decen- 
tes. 

7.  ne  quis,  etc. :  dependent  on 
monet  in  the  following  verse.  — 
transiliat :  lightly  abuse.  —  modici : 


114 


CARMINA 


[I,  i8,  14 


cum  fas  atque  nefas  exiguo  fine  libidinum 
discernunt  avidi.     Non  ego  te,  candide  Bassareu, 
invitum  quatiam  nee  variis  obsita  frondibus 
sub  divum  rapiam.     Saeva  tene  cum  Berecynthio 
cornu  tympana,  quae  subsequitur  caecus  amor  sui 


name  of  Bacchus  formed  from 
the  bacchanal  cry  euoi.     Cf.  2,  19, 

5.  Notice  that  Horace  employs 
here  indiscriminately  Latin  and 
Greek  names  of  the  god  —  Bacchus 

6,  Liber  7,  Euhius  9,  Bassareus  1 1 
—  his  purpose  being  simply  to 
secure  variety. 

10.  exiguo  fine,  etc. :  with  ap- 
petite's narrow  bound  alone;  i.e. 
when  men  in  their  greed  (avidi) 
make  their  passions  the  sole  meas- 
ure of  right  and  wrong.  In  the 
following  verses  Horace  expresses 
his  thoughts,  '  I  will  not  abuse  thy 
gift,  fair  Bacchus,'  in  the  language 
of  the  Dionysiac  mysteries. 

11.  non  ego:  the  common  per- 
sonal note  giving  force  and  con- 
creteness  to  the  general  statement. 
For  the  order  of  words,  see  Intr. 
21.  30. — candide:  used  of  brilliant 
youthful  beauty,  'fair  and  young' 
(VVickham).  Cf.  Ovid  Fast.  3, 
771  ff-  —  Bassareu:  an  epithet 
formed  from  the  Greek  fiaaa-dpa, 
a  foxskin.  This  was  worn  by  the 
bacchanals,  who  are  themselves 
called  in  the  Orphic  hymn  44,  2  A. 
(iacradpaL. 

12.  quatiam:  arouse,  kiv^(tw, 
properly  applied  to  the  thyrsus 
and  other  symbols  of  the  god, 
as  by  Catull.  64,  256  hartim  pars 


tecta  quatiebant  cuspide  tJiyrsos. 
—  variis  obsita  frondibus :  the 
sacred  symbols  {orgia)  placed 
in  baskets  {cistae^  and  covered 
with  ivy,  grape,  or  fig  leaves,  etc. 
Cf.  Catull.  64,  254  ff.  and  Theoc. 
26,  3  ff. 

13.  sub  divum :  into  the  light  of 
day ;  cf.  I,  I,  25  tnanet  sub  love 
frigido  venator.  —  saeva  tene, 
etc. :  'And  we  pray  thee,  Bacchus, 
do  not  excite  our  minds  unduly 
lest  we  fall  into  excess.'  —  saeva: 
of  the  sound,  'the  wild  din  of.' 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  9,  651  saeva  sono- 
ribus  arma,  and  Catull.  64,  261  ff. 
plangebant  aliae  proceris  tym- 
pana palm  is  I  aut  tereti  tenues 
tinnitus  acre  ciebant  \  multis  rau- 
cisonos  efflabant  cornua  bombos  \ 
barbaraque  horribili  stridebat  tibia 
cantu.  —  Berecynthio  cornu:  cf.  3, 
19,  18  f.  cur  BerecyntJtiae  cessant 
fiamina  tibiae.  This  is  properly 
the  horn  used  in  the  orgiastic 
cult  of  Cybele  on  Mt.  Berecynthus 
in  Phrygia  :  by  extension  applied 
to  the  horns  employed  in  the  wor- 
ship of  Bacchus. 

14  f .  quae  subsequitur,  etc. :  i.e. 
in  the  train  of  mad  ecstasy  inspired 
by  the  god  follow  all  too  readily 
self-love  (amor  sui),  boasting  (glo- 
ria) and  faithlessness  (arcani  fides 


115 


I.  i8,  15] 


HORATI 


15  et  tollens  vacuum  plus  nimio  gloria  verticem 

arcanique  fides  prodiga,  perlucidior  vitro. 


prodiga) .  —  plus  nimio :  over  much. 
'too  high.'  Cf.  I,  33,  I  ne  doleas 
plus  nimio,  and  Epist.  i,  10,  30 
res  plus  tiimio  delectavere  se- 
cundcE. 

16.  Drunkenness  causes  men  to 
babble  secrets.     Cf.  3,  21,  15  f.  (to 


a  wine  jar)  tu  .  .  .  arcanum  iocoso 
consilium  retegis  Lyaeo;  and  the 
proverb  in  the  scholia  to  Plato, 
p.  960  Or.  TO  €V  KapSia  vrjcjiovTOi. 
€7rt  TTj  yXuxTcrr]  tov  fieOvovro^.  — 
fides  prodiga :  the  faith  that  is 
lavish. 


19 

*  I  thought  my  days  of  love  were  over,  but  Venus  and  her  allies  will 
not  let  me  go.  Glycera  inflames  me  ;  Venus  forbids  me  sing  of  aught 
but  love.  Bring  turf  and  let  me  build  an  altar  to  the  goddess.  The 
offer  of  a  victim  will  soften  her  attack.' 

This  dainty  poem  should  be  compared  with  the  thirtieth  ode  of  this 
book.  Possibly  its  place  here  was  determined  by  the  decens  Venus  v.  6 
of  the  preceding  od^.     The  date  is  wholly  uncertain.     Metre,  71. 

Mater  saeva  Cupidinum 

Thebanaeque  iubet  me  Semeles  puer 
et  lasciva  Licentia 

finitis  animum  reddere  amoribus. 
5  Vrit  me  Glycerae  nitor 

splendentis  Pario  marmore  purius ; 


I  f .  Mater  saeva  Cupidinum :  re- 
peated years  later  in  4,  i,  5.  Cf. 
Philod.  Anth.  Pal.  10,  21  KvTrpt, 
irodiDV  fi-yJTcp  deWoTToSojv .  —  Cupi- 
dinum :  the  plural  is  not  infrequent 
in  Hellenistic  and  Roman  Htera- 
ture.  —  Semeles  puer :  for  Bacchus' 
association  with  V^enus,  see  v.  6  of 
the  preceding  ode.  Cf.  also  the 
Anacreontic  fragment  2  to  Diony- 
sus wva$,  u)  oa/jidXr]?  Ejow?  •  •  •  irop- 
(fivpir)  T    'AcjipoSiTT]  (TV/XTraL^ovcTiv. 

3  f .  lasciva  :  wanton,  as  lasciva 


puella,  Verg.  A".  3,  64.  — Licentia : 
"YyS/ais.  —  finitis  :  predicate  to  amo- 
ribus— to  loves  I  thought  were  past. 
—  animum  reddere  :  here  not  as  in 
1,16,  28,  but  almost  equivalent  to 
me  reddere. 

5  ff.  urit  .  .  .  urit :  Intr.  28  c.  — 
nitor:  brilliant  beauty ;  so niteo in 
2,  5,  i8f.  albo  sic  umero  nitens. — 
Pario :  so  Pindar  celebrates  the 
brilliancy  of  Parian  marble  N.  4. 
81  et  hi  /ceXeufts  (jtoXov  dip-ev 
Hapiov  XlOov  \evKOT€pav. 


116 


CARMINA 


[I,  19,  16 


15 


urit  grata  protervitas 

et  voltus  nimium  lubricus  adspici. 
In  me  tota  ruens  Venus 

Cyprum  deseruit,  nee  patitur  Scythas 
et  versis  animosum  equis 

Parthum  dicere  nee  quae  nihil  attinent. 
Hie  vivum  mihi  caespitem,  hie 

verbenas,  pueri,  ponite  turaque 
bimi  cum  patera  meri; 

mactata  veniet  lenior  hostia. 


7  f .  grata  protervitas :  her  pretty, 
provoking  ways.  Prudent,  praef. 
10  has  a  reminiscence  of  this  ode 
in  his  repetition  of  the  phrase  las- 
civa protervitas.  — lubricus  aspici : 
typos   jSAcVeo-^ai.     Intr.  109. 

9.  tota  :  'with  all  her  power/  — 
Cyprum  deseruit :  Cyprus  was  one 
of  the  chief  centers  of  the  worship 
of  Aphrodite ;  on  its  shores  the 
goddess  is  said  to  have  been  born 
from  the  foam  of  the  sea.  Cf.  Ale- 
man  Frg.  21  KvTrpov  i/xeprav 
AtTTOitra  Kox  IIa(/>ov  TrepippvTav . 

10  f .  nee  patitur  Scythas,  etc. : 
the  goddess  of  love  will  not  allow 
Horace  to  sing  of  serious  subjects, 
the  dangers  that  threaten  the  em- 
pire, or  even  of  subjects  to  which 
she  is  wholly  indifferent  (quae  ni- 
hil attinent).  Love  must  be  his 
only  theme. 

11  f.  versis  .  .  .  Parthum:  the 
famous  maneuver  of  the  Parthians, 
in  which  they  pretended  to  flee 
and  then,  turning  on  their  horses, 
shot  at  their  pursuers,  is  frequently 
mentioned  by  the  Romans.     Cf. 


e.g.  2,  13,  18  ;  Verg.  G.  3,  31  fide n- 
teinqtie  fuga  Parthum  versisqiie 
sagittis;  also  Ovid  A.  A.  2,  786  tit 
celer  aver  sis  ntere  Par  thus  equis. 
Plut.  Crass.  24  vTri<}>€vyov  yap  afjua 

j3a.XXoVT€S  ol  TldpOoL.  KOL  TOVTO  Kpd- 
TUTTa  TTOLOVCn  /xeTo.  ^KvOa^. 

13  f .  hie  .  .  .  hie  :  the  anaphora 
expressed  the  poet's  mock  haste. 
He  will  build  an  altar  on  the  spot, 
of  fresh  turf  (vivum  eaespitem). 
and  propitiate  the  goddess  with  sac- 
rifice. —  verbenas  :  defined  by  the 
ancients  as  anything  green,  whether 
branches  of  laurel,  bay,  or  olive,  or 
even  grass.used  for  sacred  purposes. 
Here  branches  to  decorate  the  im- 
provised altar.  Cf.  4,  11,  6  f.  ara 
I  castis  vincta  verbenis.  —  pueri : 
the  common  address  to  slaves. 

15.  meri:  pure  wine  unmixed 
with  water  was  alone  used  in  li- 
bation.—  hostia:  ordinarily  only 
bloodless  sacrifices  were  otTered  to 
Venus  ;  but  this  is  not  to  be  taken 
too  literally.  —  lenior :  ivith  gentler 
sway ;  in  contrast  to  in  me  tota 
ruens  above. 


117 


I,  20, 1] 


HORATI 


20 

'  Cheap  Sabine  wine  in  modest  cups  shall  be  thy  drink  with  me,  my 
dear  Maecenas.  I  sealed  the  jar  myself  some  years  ago.  Choice 
wines  thou  hast  at  home ;  but  no  Falernian  nor  Formian  grape  flavors 
my  cups.' 

These  verses  have  the  form  of  an  answer  to  a  letter  from  Maecenas 
announcing  his  intention  to  visit  Horace  on  his  Sabine  farm.  The 
event  mentioned  in  v.  3  ff.  fixes  the  date  of  composition  as  after  30  b.c. 
The  ode  shows  a  lack  of  finish,  as  if  written  in  haste.     Metre,  69. 

Vile  potabis  modicis  Sabinum 
cantharis,  Graeca  quod  ego  ipse  testa 
conditum  levi,  datus  in  theatre 
cum  tibi  plausus, 

5  care  Maecenas  eques,  ut  paterni 

fluminis  ripae  simul  et  iocosa 


1.  vile  .  .  .  Sabinum :  just 
vin  ordinaire.  The  Sabine  was 
the  lightest  of  the  Italian  wines, 
according  to  Galen  apud  Athen. 
I,  27  B.  who  adds  aTro  eroiv  k-KXa. 

SeKtt.  —  modicis  :  with  reference  to 
the  material  of  which  Horace's 
drinking  cups  (canthari)  are  made; 
plain  earthen  cups,  not  goblets  of 
silver  or  of  gold. 

2.  Graeca  .  .  .  testa :  an  am- 
phora in  which  a  Greek  —  and  a 
superior — wine  had  been  imported. 
The  cheap  Sabine  would  acquire  a 
better  taste  from  being  stored  in 
such  a  jar.  Cf.  Columella's  in- 
structions. 12,  28  sivasarecentia ex 
qjiibus  vinum  exeinptuvi  sit  habe- 
bis,  in  ea  (sc.  vinum)  confundito. 

3.  conditum:  stored  away,  in 
the  amphora.     For  the  process  of 


making  wine,  see  Dictionary  of 
Antiquities,  s.  v.  vinuin. — levi: 
equivalent  to  oblevi.  The  cork 
which  stopped  the  amphora  was 
sealed  with  pitch  or  plaster.  Cf. 
3,  8,  9  f.  hie  dies  .  .  .  |  corticetn 
adstrictum  pice  dimovebit  \  am- 
phorae. —  datus  in  theatro,  etc. : 
the  only  permanent  theater  at 
this  time  was  that  built  by  Pom- 
pey  on  the  Campus  Martins  in  55 
B.C.  The  occasion  referred  to 
was  in  30  B.C.,  when  Maecenas 
was  greeted  with  great  applause 
on  his  first  appearance  after  a 
severe  illness.  Cf.  2,  17,  25  f. 
C7im  populus  frequens  j  laetuvi 
theatris  ter  creptdt  sonum. 

5  f.  care :  cf.  2,  20,  7  dilecte 
Maecenas.  —  eques  :  referring  to 
Maecenas'  modesty  in  remaining 
a  member  of  the  burgher  class  in 


118 


CARMINA 


[I,  21,2 


redderet  laudes  tibi  Vaticani 
montis  imago. 

Caecubum  et  prelo  domitam  Caleno 
tu  bibes  uvam  :  mea  nee  Falernae 
temperant  vites  neque  Formiani 
poeula  eolles. 


spite  of  the  opportunity  his  wealth 
and  power  gave  him  to  rise  from 
it.  Intr.  5.  —  paterni  fluminis  : 
the  Tibur  is  called  by  Horace  S. 

2,  2,  32  a/nnis  Tiiscus.  Maecenas 
was  of  Etruscan  stock ;  see  n.  to 
I,  I,  I  and  Propert.  4.  9,  i  Maece- 
nas eqiies  Etnisco  de  sangtcine  re- 
gum.  —  iocosa  .  .  .  imago  :  as  i,  12, 

3.  —  redderet :  ansivered  back. 

7  f.   Vaticani  montis  :  the  Vati- 
can forms   the    northern   spur  of 


the  range  of  hills  of  which  the  Jani- 
culum  is  the  highest. 

9  ff.  The  four  wines  selected 
as  representatives  of  the  choicer 
brands  were  all  grown  on  the  coast 
of  southern  Latium  and  northern 
Campania. — tu...mea:  contrasted. 
— bibes:  mayest  drink  at  /tome.  For 
this  use  of  the  future,  cf.  i,  7,  i  lauda- 
bunt  alii.  —  temperant :  temper^ 
flavor ;  properly  used  of  mixing 
wine  with  water  in  due  proportion. 


• 


21 

A  hymn  to  Diana  and  Apollo  as  averters  of  ill.  This  may  have  been 
originally  a  study  for  a  secular  hymn,  possibly  for  the  celebration 
planned  by  Augustus  for  23  B.C.  Cf.  Intr.  to  C.  S.  p.  388.  The 
verses  have  a  striking  resemblance  to  Catull.  34,  i  fF.  Dianae  suiiius  in 
fide  I  pjiellae  et  pucriintegri ;  \  Dianam  pueri  integri  \  puellaeque  cana- 
miis.  Like  Catullus"  ode  and  the  Carmen  Saeculare  this  was  written 
for  a  chorus  of  girls  and  boys.  It  should  be  compared  also  with  4,  6. 
Metre,  73. 

'  Dianam  tenerae  dieite  virgines, 

jntonsum,  pueri,  dieite  Cynthium, 


I  f .  Note  the  parallelism,  which 
is  not  unlike  that  in  Catullus' 
verses  quoted  above.  —  Dianam : 
but  Diana  3,  4,  71.  Intr.  34. — 
dieite :  equivalent  to  cant  ate,  as 
often.     Cf.  I,  6,  5. 


2.  intonsum:  Apollo,  as  a  di- 
vinity ever  young,  is  represented 
with  flowing  hair — aKcpacKoiJir)^. 
Cf.  Epod.  15,  9  intonsos  Apollinis 
capillos ;  and  Tibull.  i,  4,  37  f 
solis  aeterna  est  Phoebo  Bacchoqiie 


119 


I,  21,  3] 


HORATI 


Latonamque  supremo 
dilectam  penitus  lovi. 

Vos  lactam  fluviis  et  nemorum  coma 
quaecumque  aut  gelido  prominet  Algido 
nigris  aut  Erymanthi 
silvis  aut  viridis  Gragi ; 

vos  Tempe  totidem  tollite  laudibus 
natalemque,  mares,  Delon  Apollinis 
insignemque  pharetra 

fraternaque  umerum  lyra. 


invent  a;  \  nam  decet  intonsus  crinis 
utrtimque  deum .  —  Cynthium  :  so 
named  from  Mt.  Cynthus  in  Delos, 
where  he  and  his  sister  Diana 
were  born. 

3  f .  Latonam  :  the  mother  also 
is  included  in  the  hymn.  — peni- 
tus :  *  deeply.'  '  heartily,'  Krjpodi. 

5.  vos :  the  half-chorus  of  girls  ; 
sc.  dicite.  —  lactam  fluviis :  Diana 
was  goddess  of  streams  as  well  as 
of  the  woods.  Cf.  Catull.  34,  12 
domina  .  .  .  amniumque  sonan- 
tian  ;  Pind.  F.  2, 6  'Oprvyuiv,  Trora- 
/Litas  eSos  'Apre/AtSo?.  She  is  named 
"Apre/Ais  TTOTafJLia  also  on  Sicilian 
coins.  — coma  :  not  an  uncommon 
figure,  'the  tresses  of  the  wood.' 
So  e.^.  Od.  23,  195  aireKoil/a  ko/xt/jv 
Tavv(f)v\Xov  €X.ai7]<i ;  Catull.  4,  11 
comata silva.  Milton  F.  L.  7  'bush 
with  frizzled  hair  implicit.' 

6.  Algido :  a  ridge  in  the  Al- 
ban  Hills  on  a  spur  of  which  was 
a  famous  shrine  of  Diana,  dea 
ATemorensts,  near  the  present  Lake 
Nemi.      Its   name    was    probably 


due  to  the  fact  that  its  woods  and 
elevation  made  it  a  cool  and  pleas- 
ant contrast  to  the  plain  about  it. 
Cf.  3,  23,  9  f.  {victitnd)  quae  iii- 
vali  pascitur  Algido  \  devota  quer- 
CHS  inter  et  dices.  4,  4,  58  nigrae 
feracifrondis  in  Algido. 

7.  Erymanthi :  a  high  moun- 
tain in  north  Acadia,  a  favorite 
hunting  place  of  Diana.  Od.  6, 
1 02  oit]  8'  "A/oTC/xts  ewri  kox  ovpeos 
lo)(eaLpa,  \  r)  Kara  TrjvyeTOv  ircpi- 
/xT/KCTov  r)  Eipv/xavOov.  The  ad- 
jective nigris  (dark  green)  is  con- 
trasted to  viridis  (lig/d  green). 
Cf  4,  12,  II  nigri  colles  Arcadiae. 
—  Gragi :  Gragus,  a  mountain  in 
Lycia,  and  the  home  of  Leto. 

9  ff.  vos  :  the  boys.  —  Tempe  : 
the  valley  of  the  Peneus  between 
Olympus  and  Ossa.  Cf.  i,  7,  4.  ^ — 
natalem  .  .  .  Delon :  cf.  n.  to  v.  2 
above,  and  Verg.  A.  4,  144  Deliim 
maternam.  —  totidem :  with  laudi- 
bus. 

12.  umerum:  a  Greek  accu. 
with  insignem  (sc  deuin).  — fra- 


CARMINA  ■  [I,  22 

Hie  bellum  lacrimosum,  hie  miseram  famem 
pestemque  a  populo  et  principe  Caesare  in 
15  Persas  atque  Britannos 

vestra  motus  aget  prece. 

terna  .  .  .  lyra :    the  story  of  the  the    failure    of    the   crops    in    24 

presentation  of  the  lyre  to  Apollo  B.C.  and  Augustus'  sickness.  24-23 

by  Mercury  is  told  in  the  Homeric  B.C.     The  collocation  famem  pes- 

Hymn  to  Hermes,  490-502.  temque    may  be   simply  a   repro- 

13  ff .  hie  .  .  .  hie  :  Apollo  as  the  duction  of  the  phrase   Ai/aos  »cai 

special  protector  of  Augustus  is  in-  Aot/xos,  Hes.  Op.  243.  —  principe: 

voked  to  avert  the  ills  that  threaten  'the  first  citizen.''     Cf.  i,  2,  50.  — 

the   state.      Cf.  the    introductory  Persas  atque  Britannos :  the  remote 

note  to  I,  2.  —  bellum  lacrimosum:  East  and  West   still   unsubdued, 

the  Homeric  ttoAc/mov  hxKpvotvra.  Cf.  3,  5,  3  adiectis  Br  it  aunts  \  im- 

{^^-   5?  737)»  Vergil's    lacrviiabile  perio  gravibusqtie  Persis.      Note 

bellum    {A.    7,    604).  —  miseram  the  confidence  expressed  by  the 

famem,    etc.:    with    reference    to  future  aget. 


\X 


22 

'  The  upright  man  is  safe,  no  matter  where  he  roams.  I  know 
that  this  is  true,  friend  Fuscus,  for  once  in  Sabine  wood  as  I  sang  of 
Lalage,  a  monster  wolf  fled  from  me,  though  I  was  unarmed.  Put  me 
in  chill  northern  gloom  or  beneath  the  torrid  sun,  still  will  I  ever  sing 
my  Lalage.' 

The  affected  solemnity  of  the  first  two  strophes  has  often  led  com- 
mentators to  interpret  this  ode  too  seriously,  as  if  Horace  were  sol- 
emnly preaching  a  moral  lesson.  While  an  actual  encounter  with  a 
wolf  may  have  furnished  the  opportunity  for  the  illustration,  Horace 
was  the  last  man  to  use  such  an  event  to  point  a  moral,  still  less  take 
himself  for  an  example  of  the  noblest  virtue.  He  never  preaches,  and 
is  always  free  from  cant.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  ode  is  a  piece  of 
humor  which  Horace  knew  his  friend  Aristius  Fuscus  would  appre- 
ciate. No  doubt  Horace  had  had  many  proofs  of  Fuscus'  fondness 
tor  joking;  he  tells  of  one  occasion  (.S".  i,  9,  61-73)  when  his  friend 
refused  to  rescue  him  from  a  bore.  The  relations  between  the  two 
were  the  closest.  Cf.  Epist.  i,  10,  2,i.  paene gemelli  fraternis  animis. 
Metre,  69. 


I,  22,  l] 


HORATI 


Integer  vitae  scelerisque  purus 
non  eget  Mauris  iaculis  neque  arcu 
nee  venenatis  gravida  sagittis, 
Fusee,  pharetra, 

sive  per  Syrtis  iter  aestuosas 
sive  facturus  per  inhospitalem 
Caucasum  vel  quae  loca  fabulosus 
lambit  Hydaspes. 

Namque  me  silva  lupus  in  Sabina, 
dum  meam  canto  Lalagen  et  ultra 
terminum  curis  vagor  expeditis, 
fugit  inermem, 

quale  portentum  neque  militaris 
Daunias  latis  alit  aesculetis 


I.  vitae  .  .  .  sceleris:  genitives 
of  reference ;  the  first  is  not  un- 
common in  Latin  poetry,  e.^.  Verg. 
A.  g,  255  and  Ovid  A/eL  9,  441 
integer  aevi.  Intr.  93.  The  second 
is  a  Greek  construction,  Kadapo'i 
dSiKtas,  for  which  the  Latin  ordi- 
narily preferred  the  abL  Cf.  S. 
2,  3,  213  purjtm  vitio  cor. 

5.  Syrtis :  the  desert  coast  on 
the  north  of  Africa,  opposite  the 
whirlpools  called  by  the  same 
name;  cf.  Verg.  A.  5,  51  hunc 
(sc.  dietti)  ego  Gaehdis  ageretn  si 
Syrtibus  exsul.  Pliny  AT.  H.  5, 
26  speaks  of  this  barren  tract  as 
the  haunt  of  savage  beasts  and 
serpents. 

6  ff.  facturus  :  sc.  est.  —  fabulo- 
sus :  since  the  Hydaspes  —  the  far- 
thest river  reached  bv  Alexander 


in  India  —  was  famed  to  bear  gems 
and  gold,  and  the  entire  unknown 
eastern  world  for  which  the  river 
stands  was  a  land  of  marvels  and 
wonders.  —  lambit :  laves. 

9.  namque  me  :  introducing  the 
special  experience  —  shown  by  the 
emphatic  me  to  be  a  personal  one 
—  to  prove  the  general  statement. 
Intr.  30.— Lalagen:  AaAayi;, 'the 
prattler."  a  name  chosen  to  suit  the 
character  of  the  ode. 

10  f .  ultra  terminum :  i.e.  of  his 
own  farm.  —  curis  expeditis  :  cf. 
Catull.  3 1 ,  7  <?  quid  sobiiis  est  bea- 
tius  curis. 

13.  quale  portentum :  such  a  mon- 
ster as,  etc. 

14.  Daunias  :  the  Greek  Aawta, 
Apulia;  named  from  Daunus,  a 
mythical  king  of  Nor'thern  Apulia. 


CARMINA 


[l,  22,  24 


ncc  lubae  tellus  generat,  leonura 
arida  nutrix. 

Pone  me  pigris  ubi  nulla  campis 
arbor  aestiva  recreatur  aura, 
quod  latus  mundi  nebulae  malusque 
luppiter  urget ; 

pone  sub  curru  nimium  propinqui 
solis,  in  terra  domibus  negata  : 
dulce  ridentem  Lalagen  amabo, 
dulce  loquentem. 


Cf.  3, 30,  II  {.et  qua  pauper  aquae  \ 
Daunus  agrestiiim  regnarnt  popu- 
lorum.  Vergil  introduced  him  into 
tlie  Aeneid  (12,  934)  as  the  father 
of  Turnus ;  another  legend  made 
him  the  father-in-law  of  Diomedes, 
who  assisted  him  against  the  Mes- 
sapians. 

15.  lubae  tellus :  Mauretania. 
The  reference  is  probably  \t  the 
younger  luba,  son  of  the  king  luba 
who  killed  himself  after  the  defeat 
at  Thapsus  in  46  B.C.  The  young 
prince  received  a  Roman  education 
and  was  established  on  the  throne 
of  Mauretania  in  25  B.C.  This 
barren  country,  (leonum  arida  nu- 
trix) was  a  poor  return  for  the 
kingdom  his  father  lost  to  the 
Romans. 

16.  arida  nutrix:  a  weak  oxy- 
moron. Intr.  26  a.  Cf.  Anon.  ^w///. 
Pal.  6.  5 1  firjrep  ifirj,  yairj  ^pxryiwv, 
dpiiTTupa  AeovTcov. 

17-22.  The  same  extremes  as  3, 


3,  54ff.  visere  gesiiens  \  qua  parte 
debacchentur  ignes,  \  qua  nebulae 
pluviiquerores. — pigris  :  dull,  bar- 
ren. Cf.  Lucret.  5,  746  brimui 
nives  affert  pigrumque  rigorem, 
and  Ovid,  Am.  3,  6,  94  pigra 
hienis. 

19.  quod  latus:  a  parallel  con- 
struction to  quale  portentumy  v.  13. 
— latus:  inasmuch  as  Horace  here 
thinks  of  the  world  as  fiat.  Cf.  3, 
24,  38  Boreae  finitimum  latus. — - 
malus :  a  sullen. 

22.  domibus  negata :  in  contrast 
is  Vergil's  description  of  the  tem- 
perate zones,  G.  i,  237  f.  nior- 
talibus  aegris  \  munere  concessae 
divoin . 

23  f.  Note  the  liquid  sound 
of  these  verses.  —  dulce  ridentem 
.  .  .  dulce  loquentem :  like  Sap- 
pho's 0811  ^wvetb-as  •  •  •  yeAat- 
o-as  Ifxepoev.  Horace's  second 
phrase  reproduces  the  girl's  name, 
AaXayy. 


123 


1,  23,  0  HORATI 


/ 


23 


A  study  from  a  Greek  original ;  possibly  from  Anacreon's  verses,  of 
which  we  have  a  fragment  (51)  dyai/ws  owl  re  vefSpw  vtod-qkw.  \ 
yaXaOrjvov,  oar  iv  vXr)  Kepo£(Tcrr)<;  \  aTroXiL<f)6eU  viro  firjTpcy;  ctttoi^^t/. 
'Gently  as  a  new-born  fawn  unweaned,  which  quivers  from  terror,  when 
left  in  the  wood  by  its  antlered  mother/  The  name  Chloe  (x^or).  *a 
young  shoot ')  was  apparently  chosen  to  suit  the  character  of  the  girl, 
as  was  Lalage  in  the  preceding  ode  and  Lydia  and  Sybaris  in  i,  8. 
Metre,  73. 

Vitas  inuleo  me  similis,  Chloe,    ' 
quaerenti  pavidam  montibus  avii^ 
matrem  non  sine  vano 
aurarum  et  siluae  metu  ; 

5  nam  sen  mobilibus  veris  inhorruit 

adventus  foliis,  seu  virides  rubum 
dimovere  lacertae, 

et  corde  et  genibus  tremit. 

Atqui  non  ego  te  tigris  ut  aspera 
10  Gaetulusve  leo  frangere  persequor ; 

iH.  inuleo: a/awn.  —  quaerenti:  horruit,  r/zi-//^^/.     Cf.  Plato  Ant/i. 

'lost    and    seeking,'    d7roAei<^^eis  P/an.  16,  13  vij/iKofjiov  Trapa  ravSe 

above.  —  non  sine,  etc. :  a  common  KaOi^eo    cfxuv^ecra-av  \  (t>pi(Taov(Tav 

form  of  litotes  with  Horace.     Cf.  tthkii/ois  kwvov  utto Zc^vpots.     'Sit 

I,  25,  16  fion  svie  qnestii;  3,  13,  2  thee  down  by  this  lofty  pine  tree 

fnero  non  sine  floribus.     With  the  which  is  vocal  as  it  shivers  and 

entire  expression,  cf.  Lucan  8,  5  f.  rustles  under  the   frequent  gusts 

pavet  ille  fragorem  moto7-itm  ven-  of  Zephyrus.' 
tis  nemorum.  7.  dimovere:  Jiave  moved  aside, 

4.   siluae:   trisyllabic,  as  Epod.  as  they  slip  through  the  brambles. 

13,  2.     Intr.  41 .  Cf  Verg.  E.  2,  g  nunc  viridis  etiaju 

Sf.  veris  ...  adventus  :  /.6'.  the  occnltant  spinet  ex  lacertos. — tremit: 

blowing  of  Favonius,  the  compan-  the  subject   is  the  inuleus  of  the 

ion  of  the  spring.     Cf.  i,  4,  i  sol-  comparison,  v.  i. 
vitur  acris  hiems  grata  vice  veris  9  f .  atqui :  corrective  — '  yet  tliy 

et  Eavoni;  4,  12,  i  veris  comites.  fear  is  vain,  for.'  —  frangere:  liter- 

—  foliis  :  instrumental  abl.  with  in-  ally    'crush    between    the    teeth.' 

124 


CARMINA  [I,  24,  4 

tandem  desine  matrem 
tempestiva  sequi  viro. 

Ct.  //.  11 .  1 1 3  f.  (l)s  8e  A.e'a)v  iXdcfyoio  12.  tempestiva . . .  viro :  cf. Verg. 

TaxctT^s  vyjTTia  reKva  \  pr^iSi'cos  aw-      A.    7,    53  ia/n  mat  lira  viro,  tain 
ea^e,  \a(3i)v  Kpartpoiatv  oSovcriv.         plenis  nubilis  annis. 


/24 


A  lament  on  the  death  of  Quintilius  Varus,  the  common  friend  of 
Horace  and  of  Vergil.  He  was  an  accomplished  and,  according  to 
Horace's  words.  Epist.  2,  3,  438  ff.,  an  impartial  critic,  whose  judgment 
was  valued  by  his  literary  friends,  Quintilio  siquid  recitares,  '  corrige 
sodes  I  hoc '  aiebat  '  et  hoc.''  melius  te  posse  negares,  \  bis  terque  exper- 
titm  frustra,  delere  iubebat  \  et  male  tornatos  incitdi  redder e  versus. 
The  year  of  his  death  is  fixed  by  St.  Jerome's  entry  against  24  B  c. 
Quintilius  Cremonensis  Vergili  et  Horati  familiaris  moritur.  This 
ode  must  have  been  written  within  the  next  few  months.  The  Varus 
of  the  eighteenth  ode  is  probably  identical  with  Quintilius.     Metre,  72. 

Quis  desiderio  sit  pudor  aiit  modus 
tarn  cari  capitis  .''     Praecipe  lugubris 
cantus,  Melpomene,  cui  liquidam  pater 
vocem  cum  cithara  dedit. 

1.  quis  desiderio,  etc. :  />. 'who  caput;  Verg.  A.  \,  354  puer  As- 
can  or  would  restrain  his  tears.'  canius  capiiisque  iniuria  cari.  So 
In  prose  we  should  have  the  geni-  in  Greek,  e.g.  /I.  8,  281  Te{}»cp£. 
tive  depending  on  pudor,  while  the  i^iX-q  Ke(j>uiXrj ;  and  in  English, 
dative  is  the  natural  case  with  Shelley,  Adonais,  '  Though  our 
modus ;  here  the  constructions  are  tears  ]  Thaw  not  the  frost  which 
united  because  modus  contains  the  binds  so  dear  a  head.'  —  praecipe  : 
predominant  idea ;  so  in  Martial  teach  me.  —  lugubris  :  indicating 
8,  64,  15  sit  tandem  pudor  et  the  character  of  the  strains. 
modus  rapinis.  3  f .    Melpomene  :    properly  the 

2.  tam  cari  capitis:  for  a  soul  muse  of  Tragedy;  cf.  n.  to  i,  12, 
so  dear.  For  this  use  of  caput,  cf.  2.  —  liquidam  .  .  .  vocem :  clear 
Epod.    5,    74    <7    multa  fleturum  toned :  ci.  Od.  24,  62 '^ovaa  Xiyf.uj.. 

125 


>,  24,  5] 


HORATI 


Ergo  Quintilium  perpetuus  sopor 
urget !     Cui  Pudor  et  lus^titiae  feoror, 
incorrupta  Fides,  nudaque  Veritas 
quando  ullum  inveniet  parem  ? 

Multis  ille  bonis  flebilis  occidit, 
nulli  flebilior  quam  tibi,  Vergili ; 
tu  frustra  pius  heu  non  ita  creditum 
poscis  Quintilium  deos. 

Quid  si  Threicio  blandius  Orpheo 
auditam  moderere  arboribus  fidem  ? 


5  f .  ergo :  emphatically  intro- 
ducing the  6prjvo<;,  and  expressing 
a  reluctant  conclusion,  so  then. 
Cf.  Ovid,  Trist.  3,  2,  i  ergo erat  in 
fails  Scythiatn  quoqiie  visere  nos- 
tris.  —  perpetuus  :  unbroken,  /^r- 
ever.  ^  urget :  hold  down.  Cf. 
pretnet  1,4,  16,  and  Verg.  A.  10, 
745  f.  olli  dura  quies  oculos  et 
f err  ens  urget  |  soninus ;  in  aeter- 
nam  clauduntiir  luniina  nodem. 
—  cui :  emphatic,  '  when  shall  we 
see  his  like  again.'  - —  lustitiae  soror 
.  .  .  Fides  :  the  personified  virtues 
are  those  possessed  by  Quintilius  ; 
they  are  the  basis  of  every  high 
character  and  of  all  justice.  Cf.  Cic 
de  Off.  I,  1})  fundament  urn  aiitem 
est  iustitiae  fides,  id  est  dictorum 
conventorumque  constantia  et  Veri- 
tas. 

7.  nuda  Veritas :  cf.  the  unper- 
sonified  EngHsh  '  naked  truth.' 
y-  9  f .  multis  .  .  .  nulli :  depend- 
ing on  flebilis  .  .  .  flebilior.  Ad- 
jectives in  -bilis  and  -His  are  not 
infrequently  used  as  equivalent  to 


perfect  pass,  partic. ;  so  flebilis  is 
equivalent  to  defietus,  as  i,  12, 
36  nobilis  to  notus.  Cf.  Epigr. 
Gr.  215  Kaibel  ^Av^es  eis  'AiSryv 
t,r}T0vfJi€V0'i,  ol-i  aTreAetTres  "  |  irafTL 
yap  a\yr)Su>v  icr6\o<;  aTroi^d/Aevos. 
'  Thou  hast  gone  to  Hades,  missed 
by  all  thou  hast  left  behind ;  for 
thy  going  is  a  goodly  grief  to  all.' 

1 1  f .  frustra  :  with  both  pius 
and  poscis.  Intr.  100.  —  pius:  i.e. 
in  love  for  his  friend.  —  non  ita 
creditum  :  Vergil  had  commended 
his  friend  to  the  care  of  the  gods, 
but  not  on  the  condition  (ita)  that 
they  should  bring  him  to  death. 

13  f .  quid  si :  making  the 
transition  to  the  sole  consolation 
Horace  can  offer  at  the  end,  '  All 
thy  piety  and  prayers  are  vain ; 
patience  only  can  be  thy  consola- 
tion.'—  blandius  Orpheo :  cf.  the 
passages  quoted  on  i,  12,  8.  Even 
Orpheus  could  not  recall  his  be- 
loved Eurydice  from  the  lower 
world.  For  the  story,  read  Vergil 
G.  4.  454-527- 


CARMINA 


[I,  25,  2 


15 


Num  vanae  redeat  sanguis  imagini, 
quam  virga  semel  horrida, 

non  lenis  precibus  fata  recludere, 
nigro  compulerit  Mercurius  gregi? 
l)urum  :  sed  levius  fit  patientia 
quicquid  corrigere  est  nefas. 


15.  vanae  imagini:  the  empty 
shade,  elSayXov.  Cf.  Od.  II,  476 
fipoToJV  elBuiXa  KafiovTOiv.  Also 
Verg.  A.  6,  293  ad?noneat  volitare 
cava  sub  itnagiiie  fonnae. 

16.  virga  .  .  .  horrida :  the 
wand  {aurea  i,  10,  19)  which 
strikes  the  shades  with  terror 
(horrida),  when  Mercury  gathers 
(compulerit)  them  once  for  all 
(semel)  for  the  world  below.  Cf. 
Propert.  5.  11,  3  f.  cunt  semel 
infenias  itiiranint  futiera  le- 
ges, I  non  exorato  slant  adaniante 
viae. 

IT  i.  precibus :  dative  with  re- 
cludere ;  the  same  idea  is  expressed 
by  Propert.  5,  11,  2  panditiir  ad 
nullas  ianua   nigra   preces.  —  re- 


cludere :  epexegetical  inf.  with 
lenis.  Cf.  i,  10,  j  callidns  condere 
furto,  equivalent  to  collide  condit. 
Intr.  108.  —  nigro  :  transferred 
from  the  gloomy  nether  world  to 
the  shades  themselves ;  cf.  4,  2, 
24  nigro  Oreo.  Intr.  99.  —  gregi: 
the '  flock '  of  shades  driven  to  their 
long  home  beneath  the  earth. 

19  f.  durum :  summing  up  of 
the  whole  matter.  The  following 
precept  is  one  of  many  ancient 
expressions  of  the  truth.  Cf. 
Soph.  Frg.  526  dAyetva.  IIpoKv»;, 
S^Aov  •  dXA  o/Aws  ypfMV  I  TOL  Qua. 
OvrjTOV'i  ovTas  cvTrcTws  (jxpeiv, 
'Aye,  Procne,  it  is  clearly  hard, 
but  still,  as  we  are  mortals,  we 
must  bear  what  the  gods  send.' 


25 

The  old  age  of  a  faded  courtesan,  when  lovers  leave  her  for  younger 
rivals.     Metre.  69. 

Parcius  iunctas  quatiunt  fenestras 
iactibus  crebris  iuvenes  protervi, 


I.  parcius :  in  the  emphatic 
position,  marking  her  waning 
power.  —  iunctas  .  .  .  fenestras : 
the  vulvae  of  the  windows,  which 


were  fastened  with  a  bar  (sera)  at 
night.  Cf.  Ovid  ex  P.  3,  3,  5  bifores 
fetiestras.  These  windows  were 
in  the  second,  or  a  higher  story ; 


127 


1,25,3]  HORATI 

nec  tibi  somnos  adimunt,  amatque 
ianua  limen, 

5  quae  prius  multum  facilis  movebat 

cardines ;  audis  minus  et  minus  iam 
*  Me  tuo  longas  pereunte  noctis, 
Lydia,  dermis  ? ' 

Invicem  moechos  anus  arrogantis 
lo  flebis  in  solo  levis  angiportu, 

Thracio  bacchante  magis  sub  inter- 
lunia  vento, 

cum  tibi  flagrans  amor  et  libido, 
quae  solet  matres  furiare  equorum, 
IS  saeviet  circa  iecur  ulcerosum, 

non  sine  questu, 

laeta  quod  pubes  hedera  virenti 
gaudeat  pulla  magis  atque  myrto, 

therefore  the  lovers  must  attract  ii  f.    Thracio :  the Tramontana 

Lydia's     attention     by    throwing  of  to-day.    The  verb  bacchari, //^/</ 

sticks  or  stones    (hence    iactibus  7-evel^    is    especially  apt    with    a 

crebris)  from  below.  'Thracian' wind. — sub  inter-lunia : 

3.   amatque    limen:     htigs    the  Intr.    69.      The    common    belief 

threshold.      Cf.   Verg.  A.   5,    163  that  changes  of  the  moon   influ- 

litus  ama,  'hug  the  shore.'  ence  the  weather  is  very  ancient. 

5.   prius :    /;/  former   days.  —  Porphyrio   remarks  on  this  word 

facilis:    modifying    quae,     'with  quia  tunc  fere  coiicitantur  teinpes- 

ready  complaisance.'     Cf.  Tibull.  tates. 

I.  2,  7  ianiia  difficilis  doniini. —  15.   ulcerosum:   inflafiied,   with 

multimi :  modifying  movebat.  love's  wounds.    Cf.  Theoc.  1 1,  15  f 

7  f .    The  words  of  the  serenade,  v)((jiv  vTroKapSiov  e  Akos  |  KvirpiSo^ 

the    TrapaKXav(TL$vpov.  —  me    tuo  (k  /xeyaAas-     '  With  a  sore  in  his 

.  .  .  pereunte :  temporal,  white  /,  heart  inflicted  by  mighty  Cypris.' 

who  am  thine.,  perish,  etc.  17  f.  She  bemoans  the  fact  that 

9.    invicem:  '  now  thy  turn  has  youth  is   preferred  to  old  age. — 

come.'  —  anus  .   .   .  levis  :  equiva-  pulla :  ^?/j>t/,  vrdAto?.    Ci.Epod.  16, 

lent  to  contempta.  46  pulla  feus. 

128 


CARMINA  [I,  26,  4 

aridas  frondes  hiemis  sodali 
20  dedicet  Euro. 

19  f.  aridas  :  note  the  asyndeton  Euro:  a  winter  wind  ;  cf.  Verg.  6^. 

here,  frequently  employed  in  con-  2,  339  et  hibernis  parcebant  flati- 

trasts  and  antitheses.  —  sodali:  cf.  bus  Euri. 
\.  28,  22  comes  Orionis  Notus. — 

26 

'  Beloved  by  the  Muses  I  can  throw  to  the  winds  all  fears  of  dangers 
from  abroad.  Sweet  Muse,  weave  a  chaplet  for  my  Lamia,  I  pray. 
My  verse  is  naught  without  thee.     Celebrate  him  in  Lesbian  song.' 

The  Lamia  here  addressed  has  been  identified  with  L.  Aelius 
Lamia,  one  of  the  two  sons  of  Cicero's  friend  and  supporter,  L.  Aelius 
Lamia  who  was  praetor  43  B.C.  (Cic.  ad  fain.  11,  16,  2;  pro  Sest. 
29) .  Lamia  must  have  been  young  at  the  time  this  ode  was  written, 
for  he  was  consul  in  3  a.d.  and  praefectus  urbi  in  32  a.d.  He  died  the 
following  year.  Tacitus,  Ann.  6,  27,  mentions  him,  genus  illi  decorum 
vivida  senectus ;  Velleius  Paterculus  describes  him  (2,  116,  3),  vir  an- 
tiquissimi  moris,  el  priscatn  gravitatem  semper  humanitate  temperans. 
The  most  probable  date  of  composition  is  that  suggested  by  the  refer- 
ences in  vv.  3-5,  as  30  B.C.  ;  the  words  fidibus  novis,  v.  10,  cause  some 
critics  to  regard  this  as  one  of  Horace's  earliest  attempts  in  Alcaic  verse  ; 
a  view  that  finds  support  from  the  somewhat  harsh  caesura  in  v.  11 
Lesbio\\  sacrare  piectro.     Metre,  68. 

Musis  amicus  tristitiam  et  metus 
tradam  protervis  in  mare  Creticum 
portare  ventis,  quis  sub  Arcto 
rex  gelidae  metuatur  orae, 

1.  amicus:  in  the  sense  of  3  f .  portare  :  I ntr.  107.  —  quis: 
gratus,  as  3,  4,  25  vestris  amicum  nominative.  The  following  ques- 
fontibus  et  charts;  it  gives  the  tions  depend  on  securus,  v.  6.  —  sub 
reason  why  Horace  can  consign  Arcto  rex,  etc.  :  Cotiso,  king  of  the 
his  cares  to  the  winds. — tristitiam:  Dacians,  whose  threatened  inva- 
glooin;  cf.  I,  7,  18.  sionat  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Ac- 

2.  protervis:  impetuous,  rude.  tium,  31  B.C.,  the  Romans  greatly 
a.  Epod.  16.22  protervus  Afrzc2is.  feared.  Cf.  3,  6,  13  ff.  paene  oc- 
—  in  mare  Creticum :  particulariz-  cupatam  seditionibus  \  delevit  ur- 
ing.     Cf.  n.  to  i,  i,  13.  bem  Dacus  et  Aethiops,  \  hie  classe 

HOR.  CAR.  —  9  129 


1, 26, 5] 


HORATI 


quid  Tiridaten  terreat,  unice 
securus.     O  quae  fontibus  integris 
gaudes,  apricos  necte  flores, 
necte  meo  Lamiae  coronam, 

Pimplea  dulcis.     Nil  sine  te  mei 
prosunt  honores.     Hunc  fidibus  novis, 
hunc  Lesbio  sacrare  plectro 
teque  tuasque  decet  sorores. 


formidatus,  ille  \  inissilibiis  jnelior 
sagittis  ;  Verg.  G.  2,  497  coniiirato 
descendens  Dae  us  ab  Histro.  He 
was  finally  crushed  by  P.  Crassus 
in  the  campaigns  of  30-28  B.C. 

5.  Tiridaten :  not  long  before 
the  battle  of  Actium,  Tiridates  suc- 
cessfully revolted  against  Phraates, 
king  of  the  Parthians,  and  suc- 
ceeded him  on  the  throne.  In  30 
B.C.  Phraates  returned  to  the  con- 
test and  forced  his  rival  to  flee  for 
safety  to  Augustus,  who  was  at  that 
time  in  Egypt.  Cf.  Mon.  Anc.  5, 54  ff. 
ad  me  supp[li'\ces  confitg\eru7it'\ 
reges  Parthorwn  Tirida\tes  et po- 
sted] Phrat\es'\  regis  Phrati\s  fi- 
lius'].  The  accounts  of  Justin  and 
DioCassius,  our  chief  authorities  for 
these  points,  are  conflicting,  but 
apparently  Tiridates  was  again 
placed  on  the  throne  in  29  B.C.  — 
cf.  3,  8,  19  f.  Medus  infestiis  sibi 
liictuosis  I  dissidet  arviis  —  only  to 
be  displaced  again  in  27  B.C.  by 
Phraates,  who  had  collected  a  large 
force  of  friendly  Scythians  to  aid 
him.  Tiridates  then  fled  to  Au- 
gustus, who  was  in  Spain.  — unice 
securus :  perfectly  at  ease. 


6.  fontibus  integris:  fresh, 
pure  fountains  shall  furnish  the  in- 
spiration of  his  new  song  (fidibus 
novis).  The  same  figure  Lucret. 
I,  927  hivat  integros  accedere 
f otitis  atque  hanrire. 

7.  necte  flores,  etc. :  i.e.  exalt 
him  in  song.  Cf.  Pind.  O.  6,  86  f. 
avopdaiv  al-^QjM.Ta'icn  irXeKwv  |  ttoi- 

KlAoV  VfJl.VOV. 

9  f .  Pimplea  :  Muse  of  Pim- 
plea ;  named  from  a  fountain  of  the 
Muses  in  Pieria  near  Mt.  Olympus. 
Cf.  Orph.  46  A.  IIiyLiTrXi^taSes.  — 
mei  honores :  i.e.  conferred  by 
my  verse.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  9,  446 
fortiinati  atnbo !  si  quid  mea  car- 
mina  possunt.  —  hunc  .  .  .  hunc: 
Lamia. 

II.  Lesbio  .  .  .  plectro :  marking 
his  new  verse  (^fidibus  nobis)  as 
modelledon  that  of  Alcaeus.  Cf  i, 
I,  34  Lesboum  .  .  .  bar  bit  on.  The 
plectrum  was  a  small  ivory  or 
metal  instrument  with  which  the 
strings  of  the  lyre  were  struck. 
—  sacrare  :  consecrate ; '  canonize.' 
Cf  Stat.  Sih>.  4,  7,  7  {.  si  tuas 
cantu  Latio  sacravi,  |  Pindare, 
Thebas. 


130 


CARMINA  [1,27,6 


27 


A  dramatic  picture  of  a  comissatio  at  which  the  poet  tries  to  check 
his  hot  companions ;  when  they  fill  their  cups  and  will  make  him  drink, 
he  parries  their  impetuosity  by  refusing,  unless  his  neighbor  tell  him  the 
name  of  his  love.     The  whispered  secret  makes  him  exclaim  in  pity. 

The  ode  is  based  on  a  similar  one  by  Anacreon,  according  to  Por- 
phyrio  ;  possibly  the  one  of  which  Athenaeus  (10,  42,  7)  has  preserved  to 
us  a  fragment  (^Frg.  63)  aye  8t;vtc  ^-^Kir  ovto)  \  Trarayw  re  KaXaXrp-w  \ 
^kvOlktjv  TTOdLV  Trap'  oivw  1  /LieA€TU)|U,£v,  dAAa  KaXois  |  VTTOirivovTe<;  ev  vjxvol^. 
•  Come,  now,  let  us  no  longer  with  din  and  shout  practice  Scythian  drink- 
ing at  our  wine,  but  sip  it  while  we  blithely  sing.'  The  exhortation  to 
moderation  in  the  use  of  wine  (1-8)  is  similar  to  the  theme  of  i,  18. 
Metre,  68. 

Natis  in  usum  laetitiae  scyphis 
pugnare  Thracum  est :  tollite  barbarum 
morem,  verecundumque  Bacchum 
sanguineis  prohibete  rixis. 

S  Vino  et  lucernis  Medus  acinaces 

immane  quantum  discrepat :  impium 

1.  natis:  a  favorite  figure  ;  cf.  3,  character  of  the  Thracians  see  n. 
21,  I  na/a  viecum  testa;  Epist.  2,      to  i,  18,  9. 

I,  233  versus  male  nati.     Trans-  3  f.  verecundum  .  .  .  Bacchum: 

late,  intended  by  nature.  —  scyphis :  the  god  who  requires  moderation  in 

large   two-handled   drinking  cups  his  devotees  ;  inodiciis  Liber  i,  18, 

used  only  by  heavy  drinkers.    Ma-  7.     Hence  the  drunken   shouting 

crobius    5,  21,    16  notes    scyphus  (impium   clamorem,    v.  6)    is   an 

Hercidis pocidwn  est  ita  ut  Liberi  offense  against  him. — prohibete: 

patris  catdharns.    Here  they  char-  save  from. 

acterize  the  drinking  bout  as  unre-  5  f .    Medus  acinaces  :  the  short 

strained.     In  Epod.  9,  33  the  poet  sword    of    the   Medes  ;    probably 

demands  capaciores  .    .    .  scyphos  taken   from    the    Greek    original, 

with  which  to  celebrate  the  victory  The  wearing  of  the  sword   at  a 

over  Sextus  Pompey.  banquet  or  drinking  bout  was  a 

2.  Thracum:  predicate  to  pug-  distinctly  barbarian  custom  to  the 
nare  ;  cf.  the  'S.kvOlktjv  iroaiv  in  the  Roman,  who  was  forbidden  by  law 
fragment  quoted  above.     For  the  to  carry  weapons  within  the  city, 
heavy   drinking  and  quarrelsome  —  immane  quantum :  is  a  mon- 

131 


1, 27, 7] 


HORATI 


15 


lenite  clamorem,  sodales, 
et  cubito  remanete  presso. 

Voids  severi  me  quoque  sumere 
partem  Falerni  ?     Dicat  Opuntiae 
frater  Megillae  quo  beatus 
volnere,  qua  pereat  sagitta. 

Cessat  voluntas  ?     Non  alia  bibam 
mercede.     Quae  te  cumque  domat  Venus, 
non  erubescendis  adurit 

ignibus,  ingenuoque  semper 

amore  peccas.     Quicquid  babes,  age 
depone  tutis  auribus.  —  A  miser. 


strous  anomaly  amid  (Smith). 
The  phrase  had  become  fixed  and 
like  nescio  quid  had  lost  its  inter- 
rogative character  before  Horace's 
time.  Cf.  Sallust.  Frg.  2,  44  M. 
i HI  mane  quantum  animi  exarsere: 
so  Liv.  2,  1 ,  1 1  id  miruin  quantum 
profuit  ad  concordiam. 

8.  cubito  .  .  .  presso :  the  Ro- 
mans regularly  reclined  at  table. 
With  the  phrase,  cf.  Petron.  27 
hie  est  apud  quern  acbitum  pone- 
tis. 

9  ff .  '  Shall  I  too  join  you  ? 
Only  on  one  condition.'  —  severi: 
strong,  Spt/Aus.  Cf.  Catull.  27,  i  f. 
minister  vetuli  puer  Falerni  \ 
inger  mi  calices  amariores.  Two 
kinds  of  Falernian  are  mentioned 
by  Athen.  i,  26  C.  eiSi;  8uo,  6 
av(TTr)p6<;  /cat  6  yX-VKOL^wv,  three  by 
Pliny  iV.  //.  14,  8,  6  the  austerum 
(equivalent    to    severum),    dulce, 


tenue.  —  dicat :  i.e.  that  we  may 
drink  a  toast;  cf.  Mart,  i,  71, 
I  Naevia  sex  cyat/iis,  septem 
Itisiina  bibatur.  —  Opuntiae  frater 
Megillae :  a  similar  designation, 
3,  9,  14  T/mrini  Calais  filius 
Ornyti.  The  mention  of  the 
presumably  pretty  Megilla  is  quite 
in  keeping  with  the  occasion  and 
would  direct  the  attention  of  all 
to   the   comrade   addressed. 

1 1  f .  beatus  .  .  .  pereat :  dies 
a  blessed  death. 

13  f.  cessat  voluntas :  falters 
his  will  ?  —  mercede  :  terms.  — 
cumque:  cf.  n.  to  i.  6,  3.  —  Venus: 
in  same  sense  as  i,  33,  13  melior 
Venus  ;  also  Verg.  E.  3,  68  parta 
meae  Veneri  sunt  munera. 

16  f.  ingenuo  .  .  .  amore : 
'love  for  a  freeborn  girl,' /.r.  not 
?i  libertina  (i,  33,  15)  or  an  an- 
cilla  (2, 4,  i). — peccas :  thy  weak- 


132 


CARMINA 


[1,28 


quanta  laborabas  Charybdi, 
digne  puer  meliore  flamma  ! 

Quae  saga,  quis  te  solvere  Thessalis 
magus  venenis,  quis  poterit  deus  ? 
Vix  inligatum  te  triformi 
Pegasus  expediet  Chimaera. 


tiess  is  for.  —  quicquid  habes.  etc. : 
Horace  leans  back  to  his  friend 
reclining  above  him  on  the  couch, 
who  after  a  moment's  hesitation 
whispers  his  loved  one's  name. — 
tutis  auribus:  abl.  Intr.  95.  —  a 
miser :  in  pity  for  the  youth's  hard 
lot. 

19  f.  Charybdi :  for  the  com- 
parison of  a  mistress  to  Charybdis, 
cf.  Anaxilas,  ffg.  22  K.  17  8c 
^pvvr]  TT]v  Xapv^Stv  ovxi  iroppo) 
TTOV  TTOUZ  I  TOV  T£  vavK\r]pov  Xa- 
^ovcra  KaTaTTtirwK  avTw  aKdcf>eL ; 
'  But  Phryne  does  not  fall  far  be- 
hind Charybdis ;  she  has  caught 
the  captain  and  engulfed  him  boat 
and  all.'  —  laborabas:  cf.  i,  17, 
19.  The  imperfect  expresses  the 
state  which  has  continued  to  the 
present  moment.    Vou  -were  strug- 


gling {zW.  the  time).  Cf.  the  Greek 
imperfect  with  apa. 

21  f.  saga,  .  .  .  magus,  .  .  . 
deus  :  a  comic  climax,  wise  woman, 
.  .  .  enchanter,  .  .  .  god.  —  Thes- 
salis .  .  .  venenis :  potions ;  in- 
strum.  abl.  The  mountains  of 
southern  Thessaly  are  the  home 
of  medicine  in  Homer ;  in  Greek 
writers  of  the  classical  period  the 
source  of  love  philters  and  en- 
chantments of  all  kinds. 

23  f .  inligatum :  entangled.  — 
triformi:  cf.  //.  6,  181  irpoaQf. 
Xewv,  ottlOcv  §€  SpaKOiv,  /xiaa-r)  8c 
XipjuLpa,  translated  by  Lucret.  5, 
905  prima  leo,  postrema  draco, 
media  ipsa  Chimaera.  Bellero- 
phon  killed  the  chimaera  with  the 
aid  of  Pegasus,  who  was  given  him 
for  this  purpose  by  Hera. 


28 

This  ode  also  is  in  dramatic  form,  but  its  interpretation  has  puzzled 
both  ancient  and  modern  critics.  The  best  explanation  is  that  it  con- 
sists of  two  parts,  probably  studies  based  on  Greek  models,  which  Hor- 
ace never  worked  into  a  unified  whole,  but  hastily  put  together  when 
arranging  his  odes  for  publication.  The  first  'fragment'  comprises  vv. 
1-22.  The  scene  is  the  Apulian  seashore  east  of  Venusia,  by  the  grave 
of  the  philosopher  Archytas.     A  spirit  whose  unburied  body  lies  on  the 

133 


I,  28,  I]  HORATI 

shore  addresses  Archytas  (i-6),  who  in  spite  of  all  his  wisdom,  which 
enabled  him  to  measure  heaven  and  number  the  very  sands,  now  lies 
under  a  little  earth ;  this  leads  the  shade  to  moralize  on  the  universality 
of  death,  which  comes  to  all  without  distinction  (7-22).  The  last  two 
verses  of  this  part  close  the  illustrations  with  the  speaker's  personal  ex- 
perience in  the  true  Horatian  manner.  In  the  second  part  (23-36)  the 
spirit  appeals  to  a  passing  sailor  to  throw  a  little  dust  on  its  unburied 
body,  that  it  may  find  rest  in  Hades. 

Archytas  was  a  statesman,  general,  and  philosopher  of  Tarentum  ; 
according  to  tradition  a  friend  of  Plato.  As  a  member  of  the  Pythago- 
rean school  he  tried  to  explain  the  physical  universe  by  mathematics. 
Metre,  "]■]. 

Te  maris  et  terrae  numeroque  carentis  harenae 

mensorem  cohibent,  Archyta, 
pulveris  exigui  prope  litus  parva  Matinum 
munera,  nee  quicquam  tibi  prodest 
5       aerias  temptasse  domos  animoque  rotundum 
pereurisse  polum  morituro. 

I  ff.  The  opening  verses  are  simi-  row  tomb.     Cf.  Verg.  G.  4,  86 f.  hi 

lar  to  Simias'  epigram  on  Sopho-  mot  us  animorutn  at  que  haec  cer- 

cles  Anth.  Pal.  7,  2 1  o-e  .  .  .  tov  rpa-  tamina    tanta    \   pulveris  exigui 

yLXTj^    MovVr??   darepa  .  .  .  rvfj-fio?  iactu  compressa   quiescunt. — Ma- 

ex«  Kttt  y^s  oAtyov  /Acpos-  —  numero  tinum  :  explained  by  Porphyrio  as 

carentis  arenae  mensorem :  note  the  a  mountain  or  promontory  of  Apu- 

slight  oxymoron.     Possibly  there  Ha;  it  is  uncertain  which, 
is  a  reminiscence  of  Archimedes'  5-  aerias  temptasse  domos,  etc.: 

treatise  i//a/A)LitT»;s,  in  which  he  main-  /.^.  to  have  explored  in  his  astro- 

tained  against  his  opponents  that  nomical  studies.     The  verb  temp- 

the  sands  could  be  counted  ;  or  this  tasse  itself  implies  boldness  on  Ar- 

subject  may  have  been  treated  in  chytas'  part  in  venturing  to  extend 

a  philosophical  work  by  Archytas  his  researches  to  the  heavens.  — 

himself.      In  any  case  there  is  a  animo:  inspirit:  to  be  taken  with 

certain  irony  in  this  reference  to  both  infinitives. — morituro  :  agree- 

the  vanity  of  human  effort,  which  ing  with  tibi.  Its  position  at  the  end 

the    contrast    in   the    succeeding  throws  emphasis  on  the  vanity  of 

cohibent  {holdfast)  emphasizes.  Archytas' wisdom, — 'What availed 

3.  pulveris ...  munera :  the  small  it  thee  to  practice  all  thy  science  ? 

gift  of  a  little  dust;  i.e.  his  nar-  Thou  wert  destined  to  die  none 

•34 


CARMINA 


[i,  28,  12 


Occidit  et  Pelopis  genitor,  conviva  deorum, 
Tithonusque  remotus  in  auras, 

et  lovis  arcanis  Minos  admissus,  habentque 
Tartara  Panthoiden  iterum  Oreo 

demissum,  quamvis  clipeo  Troiana  refixo 
tempora  testatus  nihil  ultra 


the  less.'  Cf.  2,  3, 4  moritiire  Delli 
and  n.     Intr.  23. 

6f.  Examples  to  prove  the  gen- 
eral statement  implied  in  morituro, 
'all  must  die.'  —  occidit:  emphati- 
cally presenting  the  main  idea  — 
dead  too  is,  etc.  Cf.  //.  21,  107 
KarOavc  kolL  HdrpoKXos,  oirep  creo 
TToAAov  d/u,eiVwv.  — Pelopis  genitor : 
Tantalus,  who  shared  the  very  ta- 
ble of  the  gods  until  their  favor 
made  him  arrogant.  Cf.  Pind.  O. 
I.  54  f.  €1  Se  8rj  TLv'  dvSpa  dvarov 
OXvyiTTOV  (TKOTTol  \  iTL/Juaav,  rjv 
TavTaXos  ovTos-  '  If  the  guardians 
of  Olympus  honored  any  mortal, 
that  man  was  Tantalus.'  Eurip. 
Orest.  8  flf.  (TavroAos)  ws /acv  Xe'yoi;- 
aiv,  on  Qi.di.%  dv6p<j)Tro<i  wv  |  kolvtJ^ 
TpaiTi^r)';  a^iwp.'  e^^cov  laov,  |  olko- 
Xaarov  «cr^e  yXaicrcrav,  aicr^^tcrrijv 
v6(Tov.  '■  Men  say  that  because  Tan- 
talus, though  mortal,  shared  their 
table  with  the  gods  in  equal  honor, 
he  had  an  unbridled  tongue,  most 
shameful  plague.'  And  Anth.  Lat. 
931,  9  f.  Tantalus  infelix,  dicunt, 
conviva  deorum  |  nunc  quoque 
apud  Manes  victima  sacra  lovi  es. 

8.  Tithonus :  Laomedon's  son 
and  father  of  Priam.  He  was  loved 
by  Eos,  who  obtained  for  him  from 
Zeus  the  gift  of  immortality,  but 


forgot  to  ask  the  boon  of  eternal 
youth  ;  so  Tithonus  wasted  away 
until  he  was  a  mere  voice.  Cf  2, 1 6, 
30  longa  Tithotium  ntinuit  senec- 
tus.     Mimnermus  Frg.  4   Tt^wvw 

pkv    IBwKtV    «X'"'     KUKOV    d(f)$LTOV  6 

Zei)5  I  yrjpa'i,  o  /cat  Bavdrov  piyiov 
dpyaXiov.  '  To  Tithonus  Zeus 
granted  an  eternal  bane,  old  age, 
which  is  more  painful  than  grievous 
death.' 

9.  Minos:  Od.  19,  179  Aios  /xe- 
ydXov  6apL(TTri<i  (•  the  friend ').  He 
was  instructed  by  Jove  himself  in 
the  laws  which  he  gave  the  Cretans. 

10  ff.  Tartara:  here  the  place 
of  the  dead  simply,  equivalent  to 
Hades,  Orcus.  So  Verg.  G.  i,  36, 
na!)i  te  nee  sperant  Tartara  regem. 
—  Panthoiden  :  Euphorbus,  who 
was  killed  by  Menelaus  (//.  17,  i- 
60).  His  shield  was  hung  up  in 
the  temple  of  Hera  at  Argos.  Now 
Pythagoras  claimed  that  he  was  the 
reincarnated  Trojan  hero,  and  to 
prove  his  claim  went  to  the  temple 
and  took  down  Euphorbus'  shield, 
recognizing  it  as  the  one  he  had 
carried  when  formerly  on  earth. 
Yet  his  reincarnation  could  not  save 
him  from  a  second  return  to  Orcus 
(iterum  Oreo  demissum),  although 
he  yielded  not  his  spirit,  but  only 


13s 


1, 28, 13] 


HORATI 


15 


nervos  atque  cutem  morti  concesserat  atrae, 

iudice  te  non  sordidus  auctor 
naturae  verique.     Sed  omnis  una  manet  nox 

et  calcanda  semel  via  leti. 
Dant  alios  Furiae  torvo  spectacula  Marti, 

exitio  est  avidum  mare  nautis ; 
mixta  senum  ac  iuvenum  densentur  funera ;  nullum 

saeva  caput  Proserpina  fugit. 
Me  quoque  devexi  rapidus  comes  Orionis 

Illyricis  Notus  obruit  undis. 
At  tu,  nauta,  vagae  ne  parce  malignus  harenae 

ossibus  et  capiti  inhumato 


sinews  and  skin  (nervos  atque  cu- 
tem) to  death.  There  is  a  certain 
irony  in  the  patronymic  as  appHed 
to  Pythagoras.  For  the  dative 
Oreo,  see  Intr.  88. 

14.  iudice  te :  Archytas  was  reck- 
oned in  later  times  the  most  dis- 
tinguished Pythagorean,  and  hence 
most  fit  to  judge. — non  sordidus 
auctor :  no  fiiean  master. 

15.  naturae:  here  'nature  of 
the  universe.'  —  sed :  the  Hst 
ends  with  the  general  statement, 
'  but  in  spite  of  their  wisdom 
and  station  all  must  die.'  —  una 
nox:  cf.  Catull.  5,  6  nox  per  pet  tia 
una  dorniienda. 

17  if.  The  various  forms  of  death, 
closing  with  the  speaker's  personal 
experience  (21  f.).  —  alios:  the  cor- 
relative aliis  which  we  expect  is 
represented  by  nautis.  — spectacu- 
la:  «j  a  show,  cf.  hido  I,  2,  37. 

19.  mixta  .  .  .  densentur  funera : 
the  funeral  trains  are  croiuded 


in  confusion  together.  The  verse 
was  imitated  nearly  six  centuries 
later  by  Corippus  B.  Afr.  1016 
mixti  senibus  densentur  ephebi. 

20.  fugit :  lets  pass.  For  the 
tense,  see  Intr.  103.  According 
to  a  common  belief  no  one  could 
die  until  a  lock  of  hair  had  been 
cut  from  his  head  as  an  offering 
to  Proserpina  (cf.  Verg.  A.  4, 
698).  —  me  quoque:  the  personal 
experience.  Cf.  i,  5,  13.  —  de- 
vexi: cf.  3,  27,  18  promts  Orion. 
Orion  began  to  set  early  in  No- 
vember, when  severe  storms  were 
common.  —  Orionis  :  with  this  long 
initial  vowel,  cf.  Epod.  15,  7  Orioti. 
Intr.  34. 

23.  At  this  point  the  address  to 
the  passing  sailor  begins.  —  vagae  : 
emphasizing  the  cheapness  of  the 
boon  asked.  — ne  parce  malignus  : 
be  not  so  churlish  as  to  grudge  the 
gift,  etc.  —  capiti  |  inhumato  :  for 
the  hiatus,  see  Intr.  43. 


136 


CARMINA 


[I,  28,  36 


25      particulam  dare  :  sic,  quodcumque  minabitur  Eurus 
fluctibus  Hesperiis,  Venusinae 
plectantur  silvae  te  sospite,  multaque  merces 

unde  potest  tibi  defluat  aequo 
ab  love  Neptunoque  sacri  custode  Tarenti. 
30  Neglegis  immeritis  nocituram 

postmodo  te  natis  fraudem  committere  ?     Fors  et 

debita  iura  vicesque  superbae 
te  maneant  ipsum  :  precibus  non  linquar  inultis, 
teque  piacula  nulla  resolvent. 
35      Quamquam  festinas,  non  est  mora  longa  :  licebit 
iniecto  ter  pulvere  curras. 


25  f .  sic : '  if  you  grant  my  prayer.' 
See  n.  to  I,  3,  I .  —  fluctibus  Hespe- 
riis :  apparently  the  Adriatic.  Since 
Italy  was  called  Hesperia.  any  waves 
that  beat  on  its  shore  may  be  called 
by  this  name.  —  Venusinae:  the 
woods  near  Horace's  birthplace, 
about  forty  miles  inland  on  the 
ridge  of  the  Apennines,  and  so  ex- 
posed to  the  winds. 

27  f.  plectantur,  etc.  :  i.e.  'may 
the  wind  spend  its  fury  on  the 
woods,  and  thou  be  safe  from 
harm.'  The  abl.  abs.,  te  sos- 
pite. is  the  important  part  of  the 
prayer.  —  merces :  reward. — unde : 
referring  to  ab  love.  Cf.  i,  12, 
17- 

29  f .  custode  Tarenti :  Taras,  the 
mythical  founder  of  Tarentum.  was 
said  to  be  the  son  of  Neptune  and 


a  local  nymph.  Some  Tarentine 
coins  bear  the  figure  of  the  sea  god 
seated  on  a  dolphin.  Next  to 
Jove,  Neptune  is  naturally  the  god 
who  could  confer  most  benefits  on 
the  sailor.  —  neglegis  committere: 
wilt  thou  carelessly  commit  f  The 
question  is  asked  as  the  sailor 
starts  to  turn  away. 

32.  f.  debitaiura,  etc. :  thy  just 
obligations;  i.e.  the  right  of  the 
dead  to  burial,  withheld  by  the 
sailor  in  case  he  refuses  the  wraith's 
request.  —  vices  superbae:  stern 
requital.  — -  linquar :  sc.  a  te. 

36.  ter:  the  sacred  number  in 
offices  due  the  dead.  Cf.  Verg. 
A.  6,  229  and  506  magna  Manis 
ter  7Jflce  voca^n.  Likewise  in  other 
religious  rites,  cf.  C.  S.  23,  Epist. 
I,  1,37- 


137 


I,  29]  HORATI 


y^ 


29 

'  What,  Iccius,  now  envious  of  the  Arabs'  wealth  and  ready  for  their 
conquest  !  Hast  thou  already  chosen  thy  share  of  captured  spoils? 
Upon  my  word,  all  Nature  may  go  topsy-turvy,  when  thou  dost  barter 
all  thy  philosophic  lore  for  a  breastplate.  I  had  thought  better  of  thee.' 
These  bantering  verses  are  addressed  to  Horace's  friend  Iccius,  a 
philosophic  dilettante,  who  suddenly  showed  an  interest  in  the  prepara- 
tions for  a  campaign  against  Arabia  Felix,  under  the  direction  of  Aelius 
Gallus.  The  attempt  terminated  unsuccessfully  in  24  B.C.  The  date 
of  composition  therefore  may  be  approximately  fixed  as  26  B.C.  or  early 
25  B.C.  Five  or  six  years  later,  in  20  B.C.,  Epist.  i,  12  was  addressed 
to  the  same  friend,  who  then  was  manager  of  Agrippa's  Sicilian  estates. 
Metre,  68. 

Icci,  beatis  nunc  Arabum  invides 
gazis  et  acrem  militiam  paras 
non  ante  devictis  Sabaeae 
regibus,  horribilique  Medo 

5  nectis  catenas  .-*     Quae  tibi  virginum 

sponso  necato  barbara  serviet .-' 
Puer  quis  ex  aula  capillis 
ad  cyathum  statuetur  unctis, 

I .  Icci :  note  the  emphatic  posi-  5 1  neu  sinas  Medos  equitare  inul- 

tion,  expressing  Horace's  surprise,  tos. 

'  Iccius  !  are  you,' etc. — beatis:  the  5.  nectis  catenas:  as  Florus 
adjective  which  expresses  properly  (3,  7)  says  the  elder  Antony  car- 
the  condition  of  the  person  is  here  ried  fetters  ready  made  in  his  ex- 
transferred  to  the  cause  of  the  pedition  against  the  Cretans,  so 
Arabs'  good  fortune,  gazis.  Intr.  confident  was  he  of  success.  ^ 
99.  Arabia  was  the  ancient  El  quae  .  .  .  virginum  .  .  .  barbara : 
Dorado.  Cf.  3,  24,  i  f.  intactis  equivalent  to  quae  virgo  barbara ; 
opule7itior  \  thesauris  Arabum. —  a  favorite  form  of  expression  with 
nunc:  in  contrast  to  his  former  Horace.  Cf.  Epod.  10,  13  Grata 
philosophic  interests.  vidorum  manus. 

3  f .    Sabaeae  :    the   Sheba   of  7  f .    puer  ex  aula  :  page  from 

'  the  Old  Testament.     Kings  ^,\o\  royal  court.  —  ad   cyathum:     the 

PHny  N.  H.  6,  16. — horribilique  '  cupbearer,' a  page  who  drew  the 

Medo:  i.e.  the  Parthians  ;  so  i,  2.  wine  from  the  mixer  {crater)  with 

138 


CARMINA 


[1-30 


15 


doctus  sagittas  tendere  Sericas 
arcu  paterno  ?     Quis  neget  arduis 
pronos  relabi  posse  rivos 
montibus  et  Tiberim  reverti, 

cum  tu  coemptos  undique  nobilis 
libros  Panaeti  Socraticam  et  domum 
mutare  loricis  Hiberis, 
pollicitus  meliora,  tendis? 


the  cyathus  into  the  cups.  His 
title  appears  in  inscriptions  as  a 
cyatho.  For  Iccius  only  a  cap- 
tured prince  will  do,  when  he  is 
enriched  with  Arabian  spoil. 

9.  doctus :  the  page's  training 
has  not  been  to  menial  service, 
but  to  speed  (tendere)  the  arrow 
with  his  father's  bow. — Sericas: 
with  this  adjective  Horace  pokes 
fun  at  his  friend's  extravagant  ex- 
pectations ;  the  whole  East  to 
China  is  to  be  subdued. 

10  ff.  Proverbial;  cL  Epod.  16, 
25  ff.  ;  Eurip.  Med.  410  avw  irora- 
/Atuv  upuiv  )((apov(rL  Trayat;  Ovid. 
Her.  5,  29  f.  cum  Paris  Oenone 
poterit  spirare  relicta  \  adfontein 
Xanthi  versa   recurret    aqua.  — 


pronos :  now  gliding  downward 
—  arduis  .  .  .  montibus:  abl.  of 
the  way  by  which,  up  the  steep, 
etc. 

13  ff.  coemptos  imdique  .  .  . 
libros  :  hitherto  Iccius'  efforts  have 
been  solely  to  acquire  a  philo- 
sophical library.  —  nobilis  .  .  . 
Panaeti :  Panaetius  of  Rhodes, 
the  leading  Stoic  philosopher  of 
the  second  century  B.C.,  was  a 
friend  of  the  younger  Scipio  and 
of  Polybius  and  had  a  great  influ- 
ence at  Rome.  Cicero  in  his  de 
officiis  followed  Panaetius'  treatise 
on  Duty.  —  domum  :  school.  — 
loricis  Hiberis  :  the  iron  and  steel 
of  Hispania  Tarraconensis  rivaled 
that  of  Noricum.     Cf.  i,  16,  9. 


30 

A  prayer  to  Venus  to  leave  her  home  in  Cyprus  and  take  up  her 
abode  in  Glycera's  shrine.  The  motive  is  probably  taken  from  a  Greek 
v/xvos  kXt/tikos,  hymn  of  invocation.  Cf.  Anacreon  Frg.  2.  w  'va^,  cS 
oa/xaAr;s  Epws  |  Koi  Nv/i<^ai  KvavwTTtSes  |  Trop(f)vp€rj  t  'Acf)po8iTrj  |  avp,- 
TraL^ovcTLV,  €TnaTpi<f)caL  8'  |  ui/'i^Awv  Kopvcf>a^  6p€(DV,  |  yovvovfJuiL  ere  ■  av 
0    evfK.vrj'i  I  iXd'  rjijuv.  K€)^a.pL(T p-ivrfi  8"  |  ev;((oX^s  l-rraKovav .     '  O  prince 

139 


1, 30, 1] 


HOKATI 


with  whom  sport  Love  the  subduer,  the  dark-eyed  nymphs,  and  rosy 
Aphrodite,  thou  art  wandering  on  the  lofty  mountain  heights.  I  be- 
seech thee,  come  in  kindness  to  us,  accept  and  listen  to  our  prayer." 
Metre,  69. 

O  Venus,  regina  Cnidi  Paphique, 

sperne  dilectam  Cypron  et  vocantis 

ture  te  multo  Glycerae  decoram 

transfer  in  aedem. 

5  Fervidus  tecum  puer  et  solutis 

Gratiae  zonis  properentque  Nymphae 
et  parum  comis  sine  te  luventas 
Mercuriusque. 


1.  Cnidi:  a  center  of  the  wor- 
ship of  Aphrodite  in  Caria.  In  her 
shrine  there  was  a  statue  of  the 
goddess  by  Praxiteles,  of  which 
the  Vatican  Venus  is  a  copy.  — 
Paphi :  Aphrodite's  ancient  home 
in  Cyprus,  where  tradition  said 
the  goddess  was  born  from  the 
foam  of  the  sea.  Cf.  Od.  8,  362  f. 
■f)  8'  apa.  Kwpov  "tKave  ^tAo/A/Attbr/S 
' Acf>poSi!Tr),  I  cs  Ila^ov,  evda  re  01 
T€//.£vos  )8a)/xd5  T£  Ow/jeL'i,  also 
Verg.  A.  I,  415  f.  t/>sa  Paphum 
sublimis  abit,  sedesque  revisit  \ 
laeta  suas. 

2.  sperne :  abandon.     Cf.  Ale- 


man     J^fg-     21     KvTTpov     Ifieprav 
AiTTOio-tt  Ktti  Ilat^ov  TrepippvTav. 

4.  aedem:  the  private  shrine 
that  Glycera  has  established. 

5.  fervidus  .  .  .  puer :  Cupid 
who  inflames  men  with  love.  — 
solutis  Gratiae  zonis :  the  Graces 
were  in  early  art  represented  with 
flowing  garments.  Cf.  Sen.  de 
Bene/,  i,  3  quoted  on  1,4,  6. 

7.  luventas  :  "H/Sr).  Cf.  Hom. 
hymn  to  Apollo  quoted  on  i,  4,  5. 
—  parum:  cf.  I,  12,  59  and  n.  to 
I,  2,  27. 

8.  Mercurius:  associated  with  Ve- 
nus as  god  of  persuasive  eloquence. 


31 

•  The  poet's  prayer  to  enshrined  Apollo  is  not  for  wealth  of  land  or 
store.  He  only  asks  for  simple  fare,  for  health  of  body  and  of  mind  ; 
an  old  age  not  deprived  of  song.' 

This  ode  is  Horace's  hymn  to  Apollo  on  the  occasion  of  the  dedication 
of  his  temple  on  the  Palatine,  Oct.  24,  28  B.C.  The  temple  was  vowed 
eight  years  before,  and  the  belief  that  the  victory  at  Actium  was  due  to 
Apollo's  aid  gave  his  worship  new  significance.     With  the  temple  was 

140 


CARMINA  [I,  31,  8 

united  a  Greek  and  Latin  public  library.  The  decoration  of  its  porticoes 
is  described  by  Propertius  3,  29 ;  the  interior  was  adorned  with  busts 
and  statues  of  famous  writers.  The  statue  of  the  god  was  a  work  of 
Scopas  brought  from  Greece,  described  by  Plin.  N.  H.  36,  28.  See  also 
Baumeister  i,  99.  The  motive  of  the  ode  may  be  compared  with  Find. 
IV.  8,  37  ff.  \pv(Jov  €v^ovTai,  TreSt'ov  8  erepoi  \  direpavTov  •  iyoi  8  doroTs 
d8wv  Kal  ^6ovL  yma  KaXvil/aifx  \  aive'wv  aivr/ra,  fxofX(l>av  8'  i-jncnrcipayv 
oAtTpots.  '  For  gold  some  pray  and  some  for  land  unlimited  ;  but  as  for 
me  I  hope  that  I  may  shroud  my  frame  in  earth  beloved  by  my  towns- 
men, praising  what  is  praiseworthy  and  sowing  blame  for  evil-doers.'' 
Metre,  68. 

Quid  dedicatum  poscit  Apollinem 

vates  .''     Quid  orat  de  patera  novum 

fundens  liquorem  .-*     Non  opimae 

Sardiniae  segetes  feracis, 

5  non  aestuosae  grata  Calabriae  ♦ 

armenta,  non  aurum  kut  ebur  Indicum, 
non  rura  quae  Liris  quieta 

mordet  aqua  taciturntis  amnis. 

1.  dedicatum  :  /aU/y  enshrined.  into  the  mountains  of  Lucania  and 
Cf.  Epod.  7,  lenses  cond/h',and  n.  Samnium.  Cf.  Epod.  i,  27  f.  pe- 
The  god  and  his  temple  are  here  ciisve  Calabris  atite  sidus  fervi- 
confused  as  in  Cic.  de  D.  N.  2,  61  duin  \  Lucana  niutet  pasciiis. 

lit  Fides,  ut  Mens,  quas  in  Capi-  6.    ebur :  this  expensive    mate- 

tolio  dedicatas  videnius.  rial  was  used  for  decoration  in  the 

2.  vates:  inspired  bard.  Cf.  houses  of  the  wealthy.  Cf.  2,  18, 
n.  to  I,  I,  35.  —  novum :  new  wine  i  f.  non  ebur  neque  aiiretim  \  fnea 
was   regularly  used   in   libations.  renidet  in  donio  lacunar. 

Cf.  Petron.   I'jp  sputnabii  pateris  7  f.  The  lower  valley  of  the  Liris 

hornns  liquor.  produced    fine    wines.  —  mordet : 

3f.    opimae:    with    segetes. —  the  same  figure  as  Lucret.  5,  256 

Sardiniae:    Sardinia,    Sicily,    and  et  ripas  radentia  fliiniina  rodunt. 

Africa,  Cicero  calls  pro  leg.  Man.  Note  the  doubling  of  epithets,  qui- 

34  tria  frunientaria  subsidia  rei  eta   .   .   .   taciturnus.      Cf.     Silius 

publicae.  Ital.  4,  348  ff.  Liris  .   .   .  quifonte 

5.    Calabriae  :  Calabria  was  the  quieto  \  dissivmlat  cursum  ac  nullo 

best  winter  grazing  ground  in  Italy;  intttabilis  i7nbri\  perstringit  taci- 

in  summer  the  herds  were  driven  tas  gemvianti gurgite  ripas. 

141 


1,31.9] 


HORATI 


IS 


Premant  Galena  fake  quibus  dedit 
Fortuna  vitem,  dives  et  aureis 
mercator  exsiccet  culullis 
vina  Syra  reparata  merce, 

dis  carus  ipsis,  quippe  ter  et  quater 
anno  revisens  aequor  Atlanticum 
impune  :  me  pascunt  olivae, 
me  cichorea  levesque  malvae. 

Frui  paratis  et  valido  mihi, 
Latoe,  dones  et,  precor,  Integra 


9-16.  The  contrast  between 
the  luxury  of  the  rich  and  Horace's 
simplicity  is  emphasized.  —  pre- 
mant :  check,  prune ;  used  by  poets 
for  the  prose  piitant ;  e.g.  Verg. 
G.  I,  157  ruris  opaci  fake  pretties 
umbras.  —  Calena  falce  :  cf.  i,  20, 
9.  —  quibus  dedit :  sc.  premere. 

11.  culullis:  according  to  Por- 
phyrio,  these  were  properly  earth- 
enware cups  used  by  the  pontifices 
and  the  Vestal  Virgins  in  religious 
rites.  But  the  merchant  grown 
rich  with  trade  uses  cups  of  solid 
gold. 

12.  Syra  merce:  spices,  un- 
guents, and  costly  perfumes  'im- 
ported from  the  Orient. 

13  f.  quippe  .  .  .  revisens : 
surely  for  he  .  .  . .  giving  the  rea- 
son for  the  previous  ironical  state- 
ment dis  carus  ipsis.  This  par- 
ticiple with  quippe  is  equivalent  to 
the  common  '■quippe  quV  explana- 
tory clause.  —  aequor  Atlanticum: 
Gades  (Cadiz),  but  a  short  distance 


outside  the  straits  of  Gibraltar,  was 
practically  the  limit  of  navigation 
for  the  Romans ;  the  Atlantic  was  an 
unknown  and  fearful  ocean.  With 
the  thought,  cf.  Aristot.  apud latnb. 
Protrep.  6  ov  Se  hti  yjuf^pArinv  fiev 
€V€Ka  TrXeiv  e<^  UpaKkeov?  CTTT/Aas 
Kat  TToAAaKts  KtvBvvevcLV,  olol  0€ 
(f>p6vrj(Tiv  fi-qBev  TTOvelv  fXTjoe  oa-Tra- 
vav.  '  Nor  for  wealth  need  one 
sail  to  the  pillars  of  Heracles  and 
risk  his  life  many  times,  but  for 
prudence'  sake  he  should  not  toil 
or  spend  (overmuch).' 

15 f.  me:  the  position  of  the 
personal  pronoun  emphasizes  the 
contrast.  Cf.  n.  to  1,1,  29.  Intr. 
30.  —  leves  :  digestible.  Cf.  Epod. 
2,  57  f.  gravi  I  ttialvae  salubres 
corpori. 

iTi.  paratis:  equivalent to/<7r- 
tis,  my  possessions.  —  valido  .  .  . 
Integra  cummente  :  cf.  the  familiar 
words  of  Juvenal  (io,^^6)orandutn 
est  ut  sit  ttiens  sana  in  corpore 
sano. 


142 


CARMINA 


[I.  32.  5 


cum  mente  nee  turpem  senectam 
degere'^nee  cithara  carentem. 


19  f .  nee  turpem  senectam,  etc. : 
cf.  Dobson's  verses  to  Longfel- 
low, '  Not  to  be  tuneless  in  old 
age !  Ah  surely  blest  his  pil- 
grimage, I  Who,  in  his  Winter's 
snow,  I  Still  sings  with  note  as 
sweet  and  clear  |  As  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  year  |  When  the  first 
violets  blow  ! '    Also  Eurip.  H.  F. 


676  IX.T]  t,wf)v  /ACT  d/Liovcrtas,  |  aiei 
8'  Iv  crT€<fidvoL(nv  fx  \  r}v  •  Irt  tol 
yepwv  dot  j  ^<;  «eAaSoJ  Mva/xotrvvav. 
'  Heaven  grant  that  I  may  not 
live  without  the  harmony  of  life, 
but  among  garlands  ever  spend 
my  days ;  and  still  when  I  am 
old  will  I  as  bard  celebrate  the 
goddess  Mnemosyne.' 


32 

'  We  are  asked  for  a  song.  Come,  my  lyre,  if  ever  we  have  sung  light 
strains  that  shall  live,  now  raise  a  true  Latin  song,  like  those  Alcaeus  sang 
of  old.  In  war  and  shipwreck  still  he  sang  of  wine  and  love.  Sweet 
shell,  beloved  by  Jove  supreme,  solace  of  toil,  hear  me  when  I  duly  call.' 

This  ode  may  have  been  written  as  a  prelude  of  some  serious  ode  or 
collection  such  as  the  first  six  of  the  third  book,  to  which  '  Latiniitn 
carmeri^  may  refer.  Horace  quotes  his  great  model  to  show  that  songs 
of  love  and  wine  are  not  inconsistent  with  serious  poetry.     Metre,  69. 

Poscimur.     Si  quid  vacui  sub  umbra 
lusimus  tecum,  quod  et  hunc  in  annum 
vivat  et  pluris,  age  die  Latinum, 
barbite,  carmen, 

5  Lesbio  primum  modulate  civi, 


I.  poscimur.  Horace's  friends 
may  have  asked  him  to  write  a 
thoroughly  Roman  ode  and  not 
simply  studies  from  Greek  models. 
—  vacui :  with  light  heart,  free 
from  care  and  anxieties. 

2  f .  lusimus  :  appropriate,  with 
vacui,  to  light  poetry.  Cf.  Verg. 
E.  I,  \o  ludere  quae  vellem  calamo 
permisit    agresti.  —  vivat :    shall 


live.  Cf.  Epist.  i,  ig,  2  f .  milla 
placere  diu  nee  vivere  carmina 
possunt  I  quae  scribuntur  aquae 
potoribus.  —  die  :  of  instrumental 
music;  cf.  Cic.  de  div.  2,  122  si 
velim  canere  vel  voce  velfidibtis. 

5.  Not  that  Alcaeus  (Lesbio  .  .  . 
civi)  was  the  first  to  play  the  lyre, 
but  the  first  to  perfect  lyric  poetry. 
—  civi :  referring  to  Alcaeus'  patri- 


143 


I,  32,  6] 


HORATl 


15 


qui  ferox  bello  tamen  inter  arma, 
sive  iactatam  religarat  udo 
litore  navim, 

Liberum  et  Musas  Veneremque  et  illi 
semper  haerentem  puerum  canebat 
et  Lycum  nigris  oculis  nigroque 
crine  decorum. 

O  decus  Phoebi  et  dapibus  supremi 
grata  testudo  lovis,  o  laborum 
dulce  lenimen,  mihi  cumque  salve 
rite  vocanti ! 


otism  tliat  made  him  take  a  vigor- 
ous part  in  the  politics  of  Mytilene, 
especially  against  the  tyrants  Myr- 
tilus  and  Pittacus.  His  sentiments 
were  expressed  in  political  odes, 
oTacTKUTiKa,  of  which  we  have  a 
few  fragments,  15-33  B.  Cf.  4,  9, 
7  Alcaei  j/tinaces  Caincnae. 

6  ff.  With  these  verses  cf.  2, 
13,  26  ff.  et  te  sojianteiii  pleniiis 
aureo,  \  Alcaee^plectro  dura  navis, 
dura  fugae  mala,  dura  belli. — 
ferox  bello :  against  the  tyrants 
named  in  last  note,  and  also 
against  the  Athenians  in  the  Troad. 
The  following  tamen  shows  that 
the  phrase  is  concessive.  —  inter 
arma,  sive.  etc.  :  '  in  war  or  exile.' 

7  f .  religarat  .  .  .  litore :  cf. 
Verg.  A.  7,  106  religarat  ab  agger e 
classem.  Intr.  95.  —  udo:  sea- 
beaten  . 

9  ff .  '  Wine  and  love  were  still 
the  subjects  of  Alcaeus'  song,  as 
they  must  be  of  mine.' 

II  f.    Lycum:  a  favorite  of  Al- 


caeus.  Cf.  Frg.  58  written  ap- 
parently in  anger,  ovKer  iyu> 
AvKov  iv  Motcrais  dAeyw.  —  nigris 
oculis,  etc. :  points  of  beauty. 
Note  the  shift  of  quantity  nigris 
.  .  .  nigro.  The  description  is 
repeated  Epist.  2,  3,  37  spectan- 
du7n  nigris  oculis  nigroque  capillo. 

13  ff.  A  renewed  invocation.  — 
dapibus  supremi.  etc. :  cf. //.  1,602  f. 
ovhe.  TL  Ovixo'i  iSevcTO  SaiTos  ctcr?;s  | 
ov  fjikv  (f>6piJU.yyo^  TrepiKaAAcos  rjV 
ex  'AttoAAwv.  —  testudo:  cf.  Ar- 
nold's verses,  quoted  on  r,  10,  6. 

15  f .  cumque :  temporal,  modi- 
fying vocanti  and  equivalent  to 
quandocumque  te  vocabo.  No 
parallel  can  be  adduced  to  this  use 
of  cumque  as  an  independent 
word,  but  we  can  safely  accept 
Porphyrio's  explanation,  who  did 
not  find  the  phrase  unintelligible. 
—  mihi  salve  :  accept  my  greeting. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  11,  97  f.  salve  aeter- 
num  mihi.  maxuma  Palla,  \  aeter- 
numque  vale. 


144 


CARMINA 


[I.  33.  6 


33 

'Albius,  thou  shouldst  not  grieve  that  Glycera  prefers  another,  for 
Venus  finds  delight  in  binding  together  strange  mates  ;  I  too  have  suf- 
fered from  her  whims.' 

The  Albius  addressed  is  probably  TibuUus,  the  elegiac  poet,  a  con- 
temporary and  friend  of  Horace.  The  fact  that  the  name  Glycera  is 
not  found  in  Tibullus'  poems  does  not  make  against  the  identification, 
which  is  as  old  as  the  first  century  a.d.  There  is  no  indication  of  the 
date  of  composition.     Metre,  72. 

Albi,  ne  doleas  plus  nimio  memor 
immitis  Glycerae,  neu  miserabilis 
decantes  elegos,  cur  tibi  iunior 
laesa  praeniteat  fide, 

5  insignem  tenui  fronte  Lycorida 

Cyri  torret  amor,  Cyrus  in  asperam 


I  ff .  ne  doleas  . . .  neu  decantes  : 
depending  on  the  examples  ad- 
duced in  vv.  5  ff.  Translate.  Vou 
should  not  grieve  .  .  .,/or.  — plus 
nimio:  over  inuch\  connect  with 
doleas.  Cf.  i,  18,  15  ^/  iolletis  vac- 
uum  plus  nimio  gloria  verticeni. 

2.  immitis :  utikind.  unfaithful, 
to  thee.  Note  the  contrast  between 
the  epithet  and  the  name,  Glycera. 
—  decantes :  drone  and  drone. 
The  compound  with  de-  acquired 
the  meaning  of  continuously  sing- 
ing the  same  note  or  strain.  Here 
it  is  especially  appropriate  with 
miserabilis,  gloomy.  —  elegos :  re- 
ferring simply  to  the  form,  a  couplet 
formed  of  a  hexameter  and  a  pen- 
tameter; the  Alexandrian  poets 
associated  this  form  with  sentiment 
and  love.     For    the    development 

HOR.  CAR.  —  ID  145 


of  Roman  elegy  and  its  relation  to 
its  model,  see  Sellar,  pp.  201-223. 

3  f .  cur,  etc. :  the  complaint  Al- 
bius repeats  in  his  verses,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  reason  for  his 
sorrow.  For  the  construction,  cf. 
Epist.  i,2>,()i.  irascar  amicis  \  cur 
me  funesto  properent  arcere  ve- 
tertio.  — laesa  fide:  a  second  cause 
for  Albius'  grief. 

5ff.  The  following  may  have 
been  suggested  by  Moschus  6,  i  ff. 
TjpaTO  Hav  At^ws  tSs  yetTovos, 
r/paro  8'  'A;^a)  |  (XKiprrjTa  Sarupw, 
Sarvpos  8'  iirefJLT^vaTO  AvSa  •  |  ws 
At^o)  tov  Uava,  Toaov  Sarrpos 
<^Xeyev  A;^w,  |  /cai  Ai5Sa  ^fiLTvpi- 
(TKOV  •  *Epws  8'  icTfiv^e  T  ajxOLfid. 
'  Pan  loved  his  neighbor  Echo ; 
Echo  loved  |  A  gamesome  Satyr ; 
he,  by  her  unmoved.  |  Loved  only 


I,  33.  7]  HORATI 

declinat  Pholoen  ;  sed  prius  Apulis 
iungentur  capreae  lupis 

quam  turpi  Pholoe  peccet  adultero. 
10  Sic  visum  Veneri,  cui  placet  imparis 

formas  atque  animos  sub  iuga  aenea 
saevo  mittere  cum  ioco. 

Ipsum  me  melior  cum  peteret  Venus, 
grata  detinuit  compede  Myrtale 
IS  libertina,  fretis  acrior  Hadriae 

curvantis  Calabros  sinus. 

Lyde ;  thus  through  Echo,  Pan,  (  13  ff.  ipsum  me :  the  usual  per- 
Lyde,  and  Satyr,  Love  his  circle  sonal  experience.  Intr.  30. — me- 
ran  '  (Myers).  lior  Venus  :  in  the  same  sense  as  i, 
— tenuifronte;  a  point  of  beauty,  2'],2o  meliore  flainma.  The  con- 
as  Lycus'  black  hair  and  eyes  of  the  trast  is  furnished  by  libertina  v.  15. 
preceding  ode.  Cf.  Epist.  i,  7,  26  15  f .  fretis  acrior  Hadriae  :  con- 
iiigros  aiigusta  fronte  capillos ;  Pe-  cessive.  The  same  figure  is  used 
tron.  126  frons  ininima  et  quae  3,  9,  22  f.  improbo  \  iracundior 
apices  capillor7i7n  retro  flexerat . —  Hadria.  The  Adriatic  was  pro- 
Lycorida:  the  name  is  apparently  verbially  rough.  Cf.  i.  3.  15;  2, 
taken  from  the  elegies  of  Callus,  14,  14. — curvantis:  when  it  hol- 
as  Pholoe  from  those  of  Tibullus  lows  out ;  i.e.  in  time  of  storm. 
(1,8,69).  Cf.  Ovid  Met.  11,  229  est  sinus 
7.  declinat :  sc.  a  Lycoride.  Haetnoniae  curvos  falcatus  in 
9.  turpi  .  .  .  adultero :  low-born  arcus.  —  sinus :  the  accusative 
lover. — -peccet:  cf.i, 2"/,  ly  ingem/o  expresses  the  result  of  the  verb's 
amore  peccas.  action. 

34 

'Careless  of  Heaven,  devoted  to  a  mad  philosophy,  I  was  forced  by 
a  bolt  in  the  clear  sky  to  change  my  course  and  to  remind  myself  that 
God  can  put  down  the  mighty  and  exalt  the  low.' 

The  ode  tells  its  own  story  and  must  not  be  taken  too  seriously,  for 
it  may  have  been  based  on  a  Greek  model.  For  Horace's  religious  views, 
see  Sellar,  p.  isgff.     Metre,  68. 

146 


CARMINA 


[I,  34,  12 


Parcus  deorum  cultor  et  infrequens, 
insanientis  dum  sapientiae 

consultus  erro,  nunc  retrorsum 
vela  dare  atque  iterare  cursus 

cogor  relictos.     Namque  Diespiter, 
igni  corusco  nubila  dividens 
plerumque,  per  purum  tonantis 
egit  equos  volucremque  currum, 

quo  bruta  tellus  et  vaga  flumina, 
quo  Styx  et  invisi  horrida  Taenari 
sedes  Atlanteusque  finis 

concutitur.     Valet  ima  summis 


2  ff .  insanientis  .  .  .  sapientiae  : 
Epicurean  philosophy,  according  to 
which  the  gods  lived  a  Hfe  apart, 
undisturbed  by  interest  in  mortals. 
Note  the  oxymoron.  —  consultus  : 
an  extended  use  from  such  phrases 
as  iurts  consultus,  •  skilled  in  the 
law.' — cursus  .  .  .  relictos  :  the 
old  national  religion,  faith  in 
which  was  no  longer  held  by  men 
of  Horace's  education. 

5.  Diespiter :  the  ancient  name 
for  Jupiter,  according  to  Varro.  Cf. 
our  '  Father  of  light.'' 

7.  plerumque :  with  dividens. 
Note  the  emphasis  given  this  by 
position,  as  I,  31,  14  f.  rexnsens  ae- 
quor  Atlanticum  \  impune.  Intr. 
23- — per  purum  topantis:  Lucretius 
closes  his  argument  that  thunder 
and  lightning  come  from  natural 
causes  with  the  words  (6,  400  f.) 
denique  cur  numquam  caelo  tacit 


undique  puro  \  luppiter  in  terras 
fubnen  sonitusque  profunda .    . 

9  f .  bruta :  inert ;  contrasted  with 
vaga.  Cf.  3,  4,  45  terra  iners. — 
Taenari :  the  southern  promontory 
of  Laconia,  to-day  Cape  Matapan, 
where  a  cleft  in  the  rocks  was  said 
to  be  the  entrance  to  the  lower 
world.  Cf.  Verg.  G.  4,  467  Tae- 
narias  etiam  fauces,  alia  ostia 
Ditis. 

11.  Atlanteus  finis:  equivalent 
to  Euripides'  rep/jLova  'ArAavrtKot 
{Hippol.  3),  the  western  boundary 
of  the  world. 

12.  valet  ima  summis,  etc. :  di- 
vinity's power  to  humble  and  exalt 
is  a  commonplace  of  Greek  poetry. 
E.^.  Od.  16,  21 1  f.  p-qihiov  hi  OtdicTL, 
roi  ovpavov  evpvv  exovaiv,  \  rjpkv 
KvBrjvaL  OvrjTov  jiporov  r)h\  Ka/ccocrai, 
and  Archil.  Frg.  56  B.  rots  6(.oi<i 
TiOiL  TO.  iravTa  •   TroXActKi?  filv  ck 


147 


I,  34,  13]  HORATI 

mutare  et  insignem  attenuat  deus, 
obscura  promens  ;  hinc  apicem  rapax 
15  Fortuna  cum  stridore  acuto 

sustulit,  hie  posuisse  gaudet. 

KaKwv  I   avSpas   opOovcnv  fxeXaivrj  down  the  mighty  from  their  seats, 

Ktiixevov;  iirl  x^'^^h  1  ttoAAoikis  S'  and  exalted  them  of  low  degree.' 
avaTpenovcTL  kol  /xoA'  cv  (it^rjKo-  14.    apicem :  properly  the  coni- 

Ttts  I  vTTTLOvi  k\ivov<t.      '  Intrust  cal  cap  worn  by  the  flamines,  but 

all  things  to  the  gods.     Ofttimes  used    here  as    3,   21,   20    regum 

from  misfortune  they  set  upright  apices.,  equivalent    to    tiara^    the 

men    who    lie    prostrate    on   the  symbol  of  royal  power, 
gloomy  ground  ;  ofttimes  too  they  15  f.   stridore  acuto  :  'the  shrill 

overthrow   and    cast    down   even  whir' of  Fortune's  wings.  Cf.  Verg. 

those    who    have    prospered    ex-  ^.  i,  387  of  the  swans  j/r/(^^«//(5?/j 

tremely.'     Also  from  the  Magnifi-  alis.  —  sustulit :     gnomic  perfect, 

cat,  St.  Luke  I,  52  'He  hath  put  has  often  before  now.     Intr.  103. 


35 

'O  Goddess,  Queen  of  Antium,  who  canst  exalt  or  humble.  All 
court  thy  favor,  the  poor  man  and  the  prince,  the  wild  Dacian  and 
Scythian,  the  sturdy  Latin  stock,  lest  thou  bring  wild  discord  (1-16). 
Fierce  Destiny  goes  before  with  wedge  and  clamp  (17-20),  but  Hope 
and  Faith  are  thy  companions  (21-24)  !  Y^t  at  sign  of  thy  disfavor  the 
fickle  crowd  and  false  friend  flee  (25-28).  Protect  Caesar,  we  pray,  in 
his  campaign  against  the  Britons  ;  guard  our  youth  from  dangers  in  the 
East  (29-32).  May  we  expiate  the  crimes  of  civil  strife  with  swords 
new  forged  against  our  eastern  foes  (33-40).' 

The  motive  of  this  prayer  is  probably  taken  from  Pindar,  O.  12,  1-6 
Atcrcro/Liat,  Trai  Zt/vos  'EAeu^eptbv,  |  'I/xepav  tvpvcrdeve  d/x^iTroXet,  2w- 
T€ipa  TiJ^a.  I  tIv  yap  iv  ttovto)  KvjSepvwvTai  doal  \  vSes.  ev  X^P^'v  '''^  ^*'" 
ij/r)pol  TToXtfioi  I  KayopaX  j3ovXa<f>6poi.  at  ye  jxkv  dvSpwv  |  ttoXX  avo), 
TO.  8  av  KaTw,  il/evSr)  p.€Tafji,(x)VLa  Tap-voKjaL,  kvXlvBovt  eATrc'Ses.  '  I  beseech 
thee,  daughter  of  Zeus  the  Deliverer,  Saving  Fortune,  guard  wide-ruling 
Himera.  For  at  thy  beck  the  swift  ships  are  piloted  on  the  sea, 
and  on  the  land  fierce  wars  and  council-giving  assembhes.  The  hopes 
of  men  are  tossed,  often  up,  but  again  down,  as  they  cut  their 
way  through  the  high  waves  of  falsity.'     Horace's  ode  forms  the  basis 

148 


CARMINA 


[I.  35.  6 


of  Gray's  Ode  to  Adversity,  while  Wordsworth  used  Gray's  poem  as  a 
model  for  his  Ode  to  Duty. 

The  expedition  referred  to  in  v.  29  f.  was  undertaken  by  Augustus 
in  27  B.C.,  when,  according  to  Dio  C.  53,  22,  i^wpfXTjcre  fjikv  ws  kol  €s  rrjv 
Bptrravtav  (TTpaTerkrwv,  es  be  orj  ras  FaAaTtas  eA^ojv  ivravda  BuTpuf/ev- 
The  following  year  he  again  laid  plans  for  the  invasion,  but  was  kept 
back  by  an  uprising  in  Spain.  In  this  year,  too,  preparations  were 
being  made  for  the  expedition  of  Aelius  Gallus  against  the  Arabians  to 
which  vv.  30-32  refer  (cf.  ode  29  of  this  book).  26  B.C.  is  therefore 
the  most  probable  date  of  the  ode.     Metre,  68. 

O  diva,  gratum  quae  regis  Antium, 
praesens  vel  imo  tollere  de  gradu 
mortale  corpus  vel  superbos 
vertere  funeribus  triumphos : 

5  te  pauper  ambit  sollicita  prece 

ruris  colonus,  te  dominam  aequoris 


1.  diva:  Fortune,  the  goddess 
who  rules  at  will  the  vicissitudes 
of  life,  is  here  identified  with  the 
Fortunae  Atttiates,  whose  temple 
at  Antium  was  a  famous  shrine 
until  late  times.  With  this  shrine 
was  associated  a  popular  oracle ; 
therefore  the  goddesses  were  called 
by  Mart.  5,  1,3  veridicaesorores. 
For  representations  of  the  god- 
desses on  coins,  see  Baumeister 
nos.  606  and  607. 

—  gratum :  probably  equivalent 
to  dilectuf/i,  '  beloved  by  thee ' ;  cf. 
I,  30,  2  dilectain  Cypron.  It  may, 
however,  refer  to  the  beauty  of 
the  place,  for  Cicero  speaking  of  it 
says  {^ad.  Att.  4, 8  a,  i ),  nihil  qtiie- 
tius,  nihil  alsius,  nihil  atnoenius. 

2.  praesens  .  .  .  tollere :  with 
power,  praesens  being  equivalent 
iopotens.    Intr.  108.  —  imo  tollere 


de  gradu  :  these  words  might  sug- 
gest to  the  Roman  reader  the 
story  of  Servius  Tullius,  as  the 
following  superbos  .  .  .  triumphos 
would  surely  call  to  his  mind  the 
case  of  Aemilius  PauUus,  the  vic- 
tor at  Pydna,  whose  two  sons  died 
on  the  day  of  his  triumph. 

3  f .  mortale  corpus  :  matCs  tnor- 
tal  clay.  —  vertere  :  change  iftto. 
Cf  Epist.  2, 3, 226vertereserialndo. 

5  f .  te  .  .  .  te :  note  the  fre- 
quent and  emphatic  anaphorae  in 
this  ode,  by  which  the  goddess 
addressed  is  constantly  made 
prominent.  Intr.  28c. — ambit: 
courts. — ruris  colonus  :  the  farmer 
and  the  sailor  (v.  7)  are  types  of 
men  especially  dependent  on  the 
whims  of  Fortune,  the  former  for 
his  crops,  the  latter  for  his  life  as 
well  as  livelihood. 


'49 


».  35.  7] 


HORATI 


IS 


quicuraque  Bithyna  lacessit 
Carpathium  pelagus  carina ; 

te  Dacus  asper,  te  profugi  Scythae 
urbesque  gentesque  et  Latium  ferox 
regumque  matres  barbarorum  et 
purpurei  metimnt  tyranni, 

iniurioso  ne  pede  proruas 
stantem  columnam,  neu  populus  frequens 
ad  arma  cessantis  ad  arma 
concitet  imperiumque  frangat. 

Te  semper  anteit  saeva  Necessitas, 
clavos  trabalis  et  cuneos  manu 
gestans  aena,  nee  severus 

uncus  abest  liquidumque  plumbum. 


7  f .  Bithyna  .  .  .  Carpathium : 
specializing,  as  i,  i.  13  trabe  Cy- 
pria  Myrtoum  .  .  .  secet  mare. 
—  lacessit :  vexes. 

9  ff.  The  wild  Dacian  and  the 
nomad  (profugi)  Scythian  are 
contrasted  with  civilized  peoples 
(urbesque  gentesque  et  Latium 
ferox) .  —  profugi :  best  explained 
by  3,  24,  9  f.  catnpestres  .  .  .  Scy- 
thae, I  quorum  plaustra  vagas  rite 
trahunt  domos. — ferox:  fearless. 
Cf.  3,  3,  44  Roma  ferox. 

II  f.  regumque  matres  barba- 
rorum :  as  Atossa,  the  mother  of 
Xerxes  in  Aeschylus'  Persians; 
and  the  mother  of  Sisera  \x\  Judges 
5,  28.  —  purpurei  .  .  .  tyranni : 
the  color  of  the  dress  being  the 
symbol  of  power ;  cf.  Verg.  G.  2, 
495  ilium  non  popidi  fasces,  non 
purpura  regum  \flexit. 


13  f.  iniurioso :  insolent,  vfipi- 
(TTLKw.  —  columnam :  symbolical  of 
stability.  Cf.  Sen.  Troad.  6  f. 
columen  ever  sum  occidit  \  pollentis 
Asiae. 

15.  ad  arma  ...  ad  arma  :  re- 
peating dramatically  the  cry  of 
the  mob.  Cf.  Ovid  Met.  12,  241 
certatimque  omnes  uno  ore  '  arma, 
arma '  loquuntur . 

17  ff.  clavos,  cuneos,  uncus, 
plumbum  :  these  devices  for  fasten- 
ing together  building  material  — 
the  spikes,  wedges  for  loose  joints, 
and  clamps  fastened  with  lead — 
are  symbolical  of  the  power  of 
stern  Necessity,  who  precedes 
Fortune,  as  the  lictors  go  before 
the  Roman  consul. —  clavos: 
clavum  figere  was  used  proverbi- 
ally of  that  which  was  unalterably 
fixed  by  fate ;  cf.  Cic.  Verr.  2,53 


ISO 


CARMINA 


[i.  35.  30 


Te  Spes  et  albo  rara  Fides  colit 
velata  panno,  nee  comitem  abnegat, 
utcumque  mutata  potentis 
veste  domos  inimica  linquis ; 

25  at  volgus  infidum  et  meretrix  retro 

periura  cedit,  diffugiunt  cadis 
cum  faece  siccatis  amici 
ferre  iugum  pariter  dolosi. 

Serves  iturum  Caesarem  in  ultimos 
30  orbis  Britannos  et  iuvenum  recens 


ut  hoc  beneficiufn,  qjient  adinodutn 
dicitiir,  trabali  clavo  figeret.  — 
manu  .  .  .  aena :  cf.  the  English 
'iron  hand.'  —  severus  :  imyield- 
ing,  harsh. 

21  ff.  The  constancy  of  Hope 
and  Faith,  even  when  Fortune 
denies  her  favor,  is  set  over 
against  the  fickleness  of  the  com- 
mon crowd,  the  harlot,  and  false 
friends.  — Spes  .  .  .  Fides:  both 
had  temples  at  Rome;  tradition 
said  that  it  was  King  Numa  who 
established  the  festival  to  Fides 
(Livy  I,  21).  —  rara:  since  fidelity 
is  seldom  found.  —  albo  velata 
panno :  in  oiTering  sacrifices  to 
Fides  the  priest  wrapped  his  right 
hand  in  a  white  cloth.  It  is  for 
this  reason,  according  to  Servius, 
that  Vergil,  A.  i,  292,  calls  Fides 
cana.  —  nee  comitem  abnegat : 
this  is  obscure,  but  the  simplest 
interpretation  is  to  supply  se : 
'  even  in  adversity,  Faith  does  not 
refuse  to  be  man's  companion." 

23  f.    There    were    not    simply 


Fortunae  of  places,  cities,  etc., 
but  also  Fortitnae  of  private 
families.  —  mutata  .  .  .  veste : 
'  changed  from  festal  to  mourning 
garb.'  —  inimica :  predicative. 

25,  volgus  infidum :  proverbial ; 
cf.  I,  I,  7  niobiliiim  turba  Qniri- 
tium. 

26  f.  With  the  idea  expressed, 
cf.  the  Greek  proverb  t,ti  yyrpa, 
^fj  (fitXui.  'Friendship  lives  only 
so  long  as  the  pot  boils.' 

28.  pariter  :  modifying  ferre, 
which  itself  depends  on  dolosi,  foo 
false  to  share.  The  metaphor 
ferre  iugum  is  a  common  one.  Cf. 
Val.  Max.  2,  i,  6  imparl iugo  cari- 
tatis. 

29  f.  ultimos  orbis  Britannos : 
cf.  4, 14, 47  remotl  .  .  .  Brltannl. 
Catull.  II,  II  idtunl  Brltamtl. 
Britain  was  practically  a  terra  in- 
cognita to  the  Roman  until  the 
time  of  Claudius  :  the  expeditions 
of  Julius  Caesar  had  had  no  per- 
manent result  except  to  arouse 
a   desire    for    Britain's    conquest. 


151 


I,  35.  30 


HORATI 


examen  Eois  timendum 
partibus  oceanoque  rubro. 

Eheu  cicatricum  et  sceleris  pudet 
fratrumque.     Quid  nos  dura  refugimus 
35  aetas  ?     Quid  intactum  nef  asti 

liquimus  ?     Vnde  manum  iuventus 

metu  deorum  continuit  ?     Quibus 
pepercit  aris  ?     O  utinam  nova 
incude  diffingas  retunsum  in 
40  Massagetas  Arabasque  ferrum. 


—  recens :  i.e.  newly  recruited 
for  the  expedition  of  Aelius 
Gallus.  —  timendum:  part  of  the 
prayer. 

32  f.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  8,  686  vic- 
tor ab  Aiirorae  populis  et  litore 
rubro.  —  cicatricum  et  sceleris  .  .  . 
fratrumque :  note  the  cumulative 
force  —  *  the  scars  of  civil  strife 
are  our  shame,  a  crime,  a  crime 
against  our  brothers.'  Cf.  similar 
cumulations  i,  5,  ii  ;  3,  5,  10. 

34  ff.  quid  nos  dura,  etc. :  re- 
producing the  spirit  of  the  first  part 
oi  Epod.  16. 

38  ff.  0  utinam,  etc.  :  undoubt- 
edly Horace  expresses  in  this  form 
his  own  deepest  feeling,  which 
was  shared  by  his  more  earnest 
and   wiser  contemporaries.     The 


disastrous  effects  of  thirty  years  of 
civil  war  were  everywhere  appar- 
ent, and  the  new  order  introduced 
by  Augustus  was  the  only  promise 
of  a  security  that  would  enable 
the  state  to  recover  its  prosperity. 
Deeper  than  all  this  were  the  hor- 
rors of  the  struggle  just  ended  in 
which  members  of  the  same  family 
had  been  set  in  armed  opposition 
to  each  other.  (Cf.  the  story  of 
the  two  brothers  in  Livy  Per.  79.) 
These  did  not  fail  to  move  even 
the  insensitive  Romans. 

39  f.  retunsum:  i.e.  in  civil 
strife.  —  in  Massagetas :  depen- 
dent on  dif&ngas,  forge  anew 
against.  The  Massagetae  were  an 
Oriental  people  east  of  the  Cas- 
pian Sea. 


36 

A  greeting  to  Numida,  lately  returned  from  the  wars  in  Spain.  Nu- 
mida  here  appears  as  the  warm  friend  and  contemporary  of  Aelius  Lamia ; 
therefore  considerably  younger  than  Horace  (cf.  introductory  n.  to  i,  26). 

152 


CARMINA 


[i,  36,  II 


The  occasion  for  the  ode  may  have  been  a  dinner  given  by  Lamia  in 
honor  of  his  friend  ;  the  date  is  unknown.     Metre,  71. 

Et  ture  et  fidibus  iuvat 

placare  et  vituli  sanguine  debito 
custodes  Numidae  deos, 

qui  nunc  Hesperia  sospes  ab  ultima 
5  cans  multa  sodalibus, 

nulli  plura  tamen  dividit  oscula 
quam  dulci  Lamiae,  memor 

actae  non  alio  rege  puertiae 
mutataeque  simul  togae. 
10  Cressa  ne  careat  pulchra  dies  nota, 

neu  promptae  modus  amphorae 


1  f .  ture  et  fidibus :  the  regular 
accompaniments  of  sacrifice.  Cf. 
4,  I,  21-24  im^^  plurima  naribus  \ 
duces  tura,  lyraeque  et  Berecyn- 
thiae  \  delectabere  tibiae  \  inixtis 
carminibus  non  sine  fistula.  —  de- 
bito :  i.e.  vowed  to  the  gods  if  Nu- 
mida  should  have  a  safe  return.  Cf. 
2, 7, 1 7  obligatam  redde  lovidapon. 

4.  Hesperia  .  .  .  ab  ultima :  from 
the  Romans'  point  of  view  Spain 
was  the  'farthest  west  land';  for 
the  Greeks,  Italy. 

6.  plura:  a  larger  share. — di- 
vidit :  properly  used  of  allotting  to 
each  his  portion. 

8.  rege  :  captain.,  leader  in  their 
sports.  —  puertiae  :  syncopated  as 
2,  2,  2  lamnae. 

9.  mutatae  .  .  .  togae :  the  toga 
praetexta  was  usually  given  up  for 
the  toga  virilis  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
or  seventeen  years ;  the  occasion 
was  made  a  family  festival.     The 


phrase,  therefore,  is  equivalent  to 
our 'coming  of  age.' — cressa :  terra 
creta,  chalk.  White  was  the  color 
of  joy,  and  happy  days  were  given 
a  white  mark.  Cf.  Catull.  107,  6 
o  lucern  candidiore  nota.  Cf. 
our  '  red-letter  day.'  We  are  told 
that  another  way  of  marking  the 
course  of  one's  life  was  to  drop 
each  day  a  pebble  in  an  urn  — 
white  for  the  happy,  black  for  the 
sad.  References  in  literature  are 
not  infrequent ;  e.g.  Catull.  68,  148 
quei)i  lapide  ilia  diem  candidiore 
notet;  Plin.  Epist.  6,  11  <?  dietn 
laetum  Jiotanduinque  inihi  candi- 
dissimo  calculo.  Similar  customs 
are  reported  as  existing  among  the 
Thracians  and  Scythians.  —  ne 
careat,  etc. :  best  regarded  as  a 
purpose  clause  dependent  on  the 
following  verses,  11-16. 

1 1 .  neu  .  .  .  neu :  the  repetition 
of  the  word  six  times  marks  the 


153 


I,  36,  12] 


HORATI 


neii  morem  in  Salium  sit  requies  pedum, 
neu  multi  Damalis  meri 

Bassum  Threicia  vincat  amystide, 
15  neu  desint  epulis  rosae 

neu  vivax  apium  neu  breve  lilium. 
Omnes  in  Damalin  putris 

deponent  oculos,  nee  Damalis  novo 
divelletur  adultero, 
20  lascivis  hederis  ambitiosior. 


poefs  eagerness. — promptae:  pro- 
leptic :  '  open  the  jar  and  let  no 
bounds  restrain.' — amphorae :  dat., 
cf.  I,  24,  I. 

12.  morem  in  Salium  (  =  Sali- 
arem)  :  the  Salii  were  priests  of 
Mars  who  danced  in  triple  meas- 
ure in  worship  of  the  god.  Here 
the  phrase  means  no  more  than  •  in 
the  dance.' 

13.  multi  Damalis  meri :  ttoXvol- 
vos.  Cf.  3,  9,  7  mu/ii  Lydia  notni- 
nis ;  S.  i,  i,  33  t/iagni  formica 
labor  is ;  Cic.  ad/am.g,  26  non  vmlti 
cibi  hospitem .  —  Damalis :  8a/AaXi9, 
a  heifer.  A  common  name  for  a 
libertina.  In  the  columbarium  of 
Livia's  freedwomen  were  placed 
the  ashes  of  a  Damalis  Liviae  sar- 
cinatrix. 

14.  '  Bassus  shall  drink  deep  to- 
day, deeper  than  the  expert  Da- 


malis.'—  amystide:  d/xxxrTi  irtvetv. 
To  drink  a  bowl  of  wine  at  a 
draught  was  a  diversion  learned 
from  the  intemperate  Thracians. 
Cf.  Anacreont.  8,  2  ttuIv,  inuv 
dfJivcTTt.    Cf.  intr.  n.  to  i,  27  above. 

15  f.  Flowers  for  garlands.  — 
vivax  .  .  .  breve :  chosen  for  the 
antithesis. 

17  f.  'Damalis  shall  be  the  object 
of  all  eyes,  but  none  shall  win  her 
from  Numida.' — putris :  swimming. 
Porphyrio  says,  putres  vino  intel- 
Icge.  — -nee  :  *  yet  Damalis  will  not.' 

19 f.  adultero:  lover,  i.e.  Nu- 
mida; abl.  of  separation. — lascivis : 
wandering.  —  ambitiosior :  more 
clinging  than.  Cf.  Epod.  15,  5 
artiiis  atqiie  hedera  procera  ad- 
stringitur  ilex.  Catull.  61,  34  f.  td 
tenaxhedera  hue  et  hue  \  arboreni 
implicat 


37 


'T 


'  Now  is  the  time  to  drink,  to  dance,  to  render  thanks  unto  the  gods, 
my  friends.  Good  cheer  had  no  place  with  us  so  long  as  the  mad  queen 
with  her  base  following  threatened  harm  to  Rome  (1-12).  But  the 
flames  of  her  ships  checked  her  madness,  and  Caesar  followed  her  in 

154 


CARMINA  [I,  37,  4 

her  flight  as  hawk  pursues  a  dove  (12-21).  Yet  she  was  no  humble 
woman ;  she  did  not  shudder  at  the  sword  nor  shrink  at  serpent's  bite. 
She  scorned  to  grace  a  Roman  triumph  (21-32).' 

The  ode  begins  as  a  song  of  exultation  on  hearing  the  news  of  Cleo- 
patra's death,  which  reached  Rome  in  September,  30  B.C.  But  in  v.  2.1, 
after  applying  the  opprobrious  fatale  monstrtim  to  the  queen,  Horace 
suddenly  changes  to  a  feeling  of  admiration  for  the  heroic  courage  with 
which  she  faced  death  and  cheated  the  Romans  of  half  the  glory  of  their 
triumph.  With  this  ode  should  be  compared  Epod.  9,  written  in  celebra- 
tion of  the  victory  at  Actium.  It  is  noteworthy  that  in  neither  is  An- 
tony mentioned,  the  poet  forbearing  to  glory  over  a  fellow  Roman.  The 
poem  is  probably  modeled  on  Alcaeus'  ode  on  the  death  of  the  tyrant 
Myrsilus ;  in  any  case  the  enthusiastic  verses  with  which  Horace  opens 
were  suggested  by  the  verses  of  Alcaeus  preserved  by  Athen.  10,  430  A. 
{Frg.  20  )  vvv  xpr]  fxtOvad-qv  KaC  riva  Trpos  /8«iv  |  ttmvyjv.  iireLBr]  KarOave 
Mupo-tAos.  '  Now  must  we  drink  deep  and  riotously  carouse,  for  Myrsi- 
lus is  dead.'     Metre,  68. 

Nunc  est  bibendum,  nunc  pede  libero 
pulsanda  tellus,  nunc  Saliaribus 
ornare  pulvinar  deorum 

tempus  erat  dapibus,  sodales. 

1.  nunc  :  the  triple  repetition  of  bial.  Cf.  2, 14,  28  mero  pontificum 
this  word  strengthens  the  contrast  potior e  cents;  Porphyrio  remarks 
with  antehac  nefas  of  the  following  on  this  verse,  i?i  proverbio  est  Sa- 
strophe.  — libero :  freed,  as  if  the  Hares  cenas  dicer e  opiparas  et  copi- 
dangers  that  threatened  the  state  osas. 

had  fettered  the  very  feet  of  its  3-  ornare  pulvinar  deorum:    in 

citizens.  celebrating     a     lectisterniwn     in 

2.  pulsanda :  the  same  expres-  thanksgiving  to  the  gods,  images 
sion,  3,  18,  15  f.  gaiidet  .  .  .  pepu-  of  the  divinities  were  placed  on 
Ussefossor  \  ter  pede  terram.  Cf.  i,  couches  {pidvifiarid),  before  which 
X."]  terram  quatijcnt. — Saliaribus  rich  banquets  were  offered  for  a 
. . .  dapibus  :  feasts  such  as  the  Salii  number  of  days  ;  with  this  was  asso- 
ejijoy.  In  the  later  republic  and  dated  a  dinner  for  the  priests, 
under  the  empire  the  chief  sacred  4-  tempus  erat :  the  imperfect 
colleges  were  very  wealthy  and  be-  expresses  surprise  that  this  has  not 
came  in  certain  senses  select  clubs;  been  done  already,  'Why  have  we 
the  luxury  of  the  banquets  of  the  not  ... ,  for  it  was  time.'  So  Aris- 
Salii  and  pontifices  were  prover-  toph.  Eccl.  877  ri  tzo&  avS/aes  ov^ 

155 


I.  37.  5] 


HORATI 


Antehac  nefas  depromere  Caecubum 
cellis  avitis,  dum  Capitolio 
regina  dementis  ruinas 
funus  et  imperio  parabat 

contaminato  cum  grege  turpium 
morbo  virorum,  quidlibet  impotens 
sperare  fortunaque  dulci 
ebria.     Sed  minuit  furorem 


rjKOvcnv ;  wpa  8  r)V  TroAat.  Ovid 
Am.  3,  I,  23  f.  temptis  erat  thyrso 
pulsum  graviore  mover  i,  \  cessatum 
satis  est,  iticipe  7naius  opus.  This 
interpretation  is  not  inconsistent 
with  the  following  antehac  nefas. 

5.  antehac  :  dissyllabic.  Intr. 
38.  This  synizesis,  as  well  as  the 
neglect  of  the  regular  caesura  in  5 
and  14,  probably  marks  this  ode  as 
one  of  Horace's  earlier  essays  in 
Alcaic  measure. — Caecubum:  cf. 
Epod.  9,  I  ff.  quando  repostum  Cae- 
cubum ad  festas  dapes . . .  tecum . . . 
Maecenas . . .  bibaifi. 

6.  dum  Capitolio,  etc. :  there  was 
genuine  fear  at  Rome  that  Augus- 
tus would  not  be  able  to  defend 
Italy  against  Antony  and  Cleopa- 
tra ;  cf.  Fast.  Amit.  to  Aug.  i,  C.I.L. 
I,  p.  ■})()%,  feriae  ex s{etiatus')  c{on- 
sulto),  q{tiod)  e{p)  d(te)  imp.  Cae- 
sar divi  /{ilins)  rem  public^am) 
tristissivio periculo  liberat.  It  was 
even  said  that  Cleopatra  had  vowed 
she  would  yet  administer  justice  on 
the  Capitol,  and  that  Antony  had 
promised  her  the  Roman  empire 
as  a  marriage  portion.  The  Capi- 
tolium  was  the  symbol  of  Rome's 


lasting  power.  So  Horace,  in  de- 
claring his  fame  shall  be  eternal, 
says,  3,  30,  8  fF.  dum  Capitolium 
scandet .  .  .  pontife:}^. .  .  .  dicar  .  .  . 
deduxisse  modos,  etc. 

7.  regina:  even  more  hateful 
than  rex;  cf.  Prop.  4,  1 1, 47  ff.  qjtid 
nunc  Tarquinii  fractas  iuvat  esse 
secttres  \  fiomine  quem  simili  vita 
superba  notat,  \  si  mulier  patienda 
fuit;  and  the  scornful  etnancipatus 
fetninae,  Epod.  9,  12.  —  dementis 
ruinas  :  again  the  transferred  ad- 
jective. Cf.  I,  3,  40  iracunda 
fultnitia.     Intr.  99. 

gf.  contaminato  grege, etc.:  the 
spadones  rugosi  of  Epod.  9,  1 3  and 
the  rou^s  of  Cleopatra's  court  are 
meant.  —  turpium  morbo,  etc.:  de- 
filed, with  lust.  Catullus  (57,  6) 
reviles  Marmurra  and  Caesar  for 
their  dissolute  lives  with  the  words, 
morbosi  pariter.  —  virorum:  in 
this  connection  is  ironical. 

10.  impotens:  weak  enough  to 
hope;  her  passion  had  blinded  her 
judgment. 

12.  ebria:  cf  Demos.  Phil.  1,49 
ot/uai  Ikuvov  fieOveiv  tw  fieyWci  twv 
TTCTrpay/xevcov. 


156 


CARMINA 


[h  37.  24 


15 


vix  una  sospes  navis  ab  ignibus, 
mentemque  lymphatam  Mareotico 
redegit  in  veros  timores 
Caesar,  ab  Italia  volantem 

remis  adurgens,  accipiter  velut 
mollis  columbas  aut  leporem  citus 
venator  in  campis  nivalis 
Haemoniae,  daret  ut  catenis 

fatale  monstrum.     Quae  generosius 
perire  quaerens  nee  muliebriter 
expavit  ensem  nee  latentis 
classe  cita  reparavit  oras  ; 


13.  vix  una  sospes:  //le  fact 
that  hardly  a  single  ship  escaped. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  Cleopatra  es- 
caped with  sixty  ships,  while  An- 
tony's fleet  was  burned.  It  may 
be  that  the  first  news  of  the  battle 
reported  the  destruction  of  Cleopa- 
tra's ships  as  well. 

14  ff.  Her  drunken  madne.ss  was 
changed  into  genuine  terror  by  Cae- 
sar's pursuit.  —  lymphatam:  vv/a- 
^ok-rpTTWi,  distracted.  The  word 
owes  its  origin  to  the  belief  that 
those  who  caught  sight  of  water 
nymphs  were  bewitched  and  de- 
prived of  their  senses. — Mareotico : 
sc.  vino;  the  best  wine  produced 
near  Alexandria. 

16 f.  volantem:  sc.  earn.  —  re- 
mis  adurgens :  an  exaggeration,  as 
Octavian  did  not  pursue  Antony 
and  Cleopatra  at  once,  but  went  in 
the  autumn  of  31  B.C.  to  Asia,  win- 
tered at  Samos,  and  only  reached 


Egypt  in  the  summer  of  30  B.C. — 
accipiter  velut :  a  Homeric  figure. 
Cf.  //.  22,   I39f.  y]vr(.  KLpKos  opt- 

(T<f>LV.  eAat^pOTttTOS  TTCTeTjvCiV.   I   pr}L- 

Stws  olp-rjcre  fxcra  TprjptDva  Tre'Aeiav. 

19  f.  nivalis  Haemoniae :  i.e.Thes,- 
saly  in  winter,  the  hunting  season. 
—  monstrum  quae :  construction  ac- 
cording to  sense.  Cf.  Cic.  ad /am. 
1,9,  15  ilia  /uria  ntuliebrium  re- 
ligioniim  qui,  etc. 

21  f.  At  this  point  Horace  sud- 
denly changes  to  admiration  for 
Cleopatra's  courage,  that  made  her 
prefer  death  to  capture.  —  genero- 
sius perire :  to  die  a  nobler  death.  — 
nee  muliebriter  expavit:  nor  like 
a  ivoinan  did  she  fear.  Plutarch 
(^Ant.  79)  says  that  on  the  approach 
of  Proculeius,  Octavian's  emissary, 
Cleopatra  jtried  to  stab  herself. 

23  f.  nee  latentis,  etc. :  there  is 
a  tradition  (Dio  G.  51,  6;  Plut. 
Ant.  69)  that  Cleopatra  thought  of 


157 


I.  37.  25 J 


HORATI 


25 


30 


ausa  et  iacentem  visere  regiam 
voltu  sereno,  fortis  et  asperas 
tractare  serpentes,  ut  atrum 
corpore  combiberet  venenum, 

deliberata  morte  ferocior, 
saevis  Liburnis  scilicet  invidens 
privata  deduci  superbo 

non  humilis  mulier  triumpho. 


escaping  through  the  Red  Sea.  Yet 
it  may  well  be  questioned  whether 
Horace  knew  of  such  plans  on  the 
queen's  part ;  he  simply  means  to 
say  that  she  had  no  fear  of  death, 
and  did  not  runaway.  —  reparavit: 
exchange ;  i.e.  in  return  for  the  king- 
dom she  had  lost.  Cf.  1,31,  I2T^/«« 
reparata  merce. 

25  f .  Note  the  emphatic  posi- 
tion of  ausa  .  .  .  fortis. —  iacentem: 
ruined.,  razed  to  the  ground.  —  trac- 
tare: dependent  on  fortis,  coura- 
geous enough  to.     Intr.  108. 

27  f .  atrum :  the  '  deadly '  color. 
Cf.  I,  28,  13  morti. . .  atrae;  2, 14, 
1 7  ater. . .  Cocytos ;  3,  4,  1 7  air  is  vi- 
peris. — corpore :  iti  her  body ;  abl . 
of  instrument.  —  combiberet :  the 
compound  is  intensive,  '  drinking 
deep.'  So  Cicero  (ydefin.  3, 9)  says 
figuratively,  quas  {artes)  si,  dum 
est  tener,  combiberit,  ad  tnaiora 
veniet  paratior. 

29.  The  more  courageous  when 
once  resolved  to  die. 

30  ff .  The  condensation  of  these 


verses  makes  translation  especially 
difficult.  —  Liburnis:  dat.  with  in- 
videns. These  Were  small  swift 
ships,  modeled  after  those  of  the 
Liburnian  pirates,  and  proved  suc- 
cessful against  the  unwieldy  ships 
of  the  enemy  at  Actium.  Ci.Epod. 
I,  I  and  n.  —  scilicet:  no  doubt. — 
invidens :  cf.  Shakespeare,  Ant.  and 
Cleopatra,  5,  2  '  Shall  they  hoist 
me,  I  And  show  me  to  the  shouting 
varletry  |  Of  censuring  Rome  ?'  — 
privata :  '■  no  longer  a  queen,'  con- 
trasted with  superbo  triumpho.  — 
deduci;  the  object  of  invidens. — 
non  humilis  mulier:  translate  as 
parenthetical  and  in  the  predicate 
—  no  humble  woman  she !  Cf  Ten- 
nyson's Dream  of  Fair  Women, '  I 
died  a  Queen.  The  Roman  soldier 
found  I  Me  lying  dead,  my  crown 
about  my  brows,  |  A  name  for 
ever!'  It  is  said  that  Cleopatra 
frequently  cried  ov  6pi.aiJ.^evaofmi. 
In  Octavian's  triumph  in  August, 
29  B.C.,  an  effigy  of  the  queen  ap- 
peared. 


158 


CARMINA 


[I,  38,  8 


38 

In  contrast  with  the  triumphant  note  of  the  preceding  ode  the  book 
quietly  closes  with  this  little  ode,  in  which  Horace  declares  again  his 
love  of  simplicity.  '  Not  orient  display  nor  garlands  rich  please  me,  but 
simple  myrtle  crown  and  cup  of  wine  beneath  the  arbor's  shade.'  Metre, 
69. 

Persicos  odi,  puer,  apparatus  ; 

displicent  nexae  philyra  coronae  ; 

mitte  sectari  rosa  quo  locorum 

sera  moretur. 


5 


Simplici  myrto  nihil  adlabores 
sedulus  euro ;  neque  te  ministrum 
dedecet  myrtus  neque  me  sub  arta 
vite  bibentem. 


I.  Persicos:  the  adjective  sug- 
gests Oriental  luxury.  Probably 
Horace  had  in  mind  unguents  and 
perfumes  from  the  east.  —  philyra: 
strips  of  the  inner  bark  of  the  lin- 
den were  used  to  fasten  together 
the  flowers  of  elaborate  chaplets. 
Cf.  Ovid,  Fasti  5,  335  ff.  tempora 
sutilibiis  cingiinUir  tola  corotiis  \  et 
latet  iniecta  spletidida  niensa  rosa.  \ 
ebrius  incinctis  philyra  conviva 
capillis  I  saltat. 


3  f .  mitte :  equivalent  to  omitte. 
— sectari:  hufiting.  —  rosa  sera:  the 
rose  out  of  season,  another  symbol 
of  luxury. 

5f.  myrto:  dat.  with  adlabores, 
which  is  equivalent  to  laborando 
addas;  embellish.  The  subjunctive 
is  independent,  parallel  to  euro. — 
nihil :  with  adlabores.  —  sedulus  : 
with  care,  predicate  to  adlabores. 

7.  arta:  thick  grown. 


LIBER   SECVNDVS 


As  the  first  three  odes  of  the  first  book  are  given  in  order  to  Maece- 
nas, Octavianus,  and  Vergil,  so  this  book  opens  with  odes  addressed  to 
three  friends,  Pollio,  Sallustius  Crispus,  and  Dellius.  The  place  of 
honor  is  given  to  C.  Asinius  Pollio,  who  was  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished men  of  his  time;  born  in  76  B.C.  he  belonged  in  his  youth  to 
the  literary  circle  of  Catullus,  Calvus,  and  Cinna.  He  had  an  honorable 
political  and  military  career,  attaining  the  consulship  in  40  B.C. ;  his 
military  services,  in  the  course  of  which  he  served  under  Caesar  and 
after  Caesar's  murder  under  Antony,  culminated  in  a  successful  cam- 
paign against  the  Parthini,  a  tribe  in  Dalmatia,  in  39  B.C.  With  the 
booty  gained  he  founded  the  first  public  library  in  Rome. 

From  this  time  he  gave  himself  up  to  literary  and  forensic  pursuits, 
maintaining  with  honor  a  neutral  position  in  the  struggle  between 
Octavianus  and  Antony.  Quintilian,  Seneca,  and  Tacitus  praise  his 
oratory  (cf.  13  f.)  in  which  he  had  hoped  to  rival  Cicero;  his  tragedies 
(i  1-12)  were  celebrated  in  39  B.C.  by  Vergil  {E.  8,  10)  as  sola  SopJiocleo 
tua  carmina  digna  cothttriw.  Horace  refers  to  them  in  the  verse  {S. 
1 ,  10, 42  f )  Pollio  regutn  \  facta  canit  pede  ter  percusso.  Following  pos- 
sibly the  example  of  Sallust,  he  undertook  to  write  a  history  of  the  civil 
wars,  with  the  first  triumvirate,  60  B.C.,  as  his  starting  point.  We  do 
not  know  to  what  date  Pollio  intended  to  bring  his  work  —  it  undoubt- 
edly included  Pharsalus,  Thapsus,  and  probably  Philippi,  —  or  whether 
he  completed  his  plan,  whatever  it  may  have  been ;  for  while  the  work 
is  referred  to  by  Tacitus  and  Suetonius,  it  is  to  us  entirely  lost.  Our 
knowledge  of  his  literary  ability  is  based  solely  on  his  letters  to  Cicero 
{ad.fam.  10,  31-33)  which  show  a  stiff  and  archaic  style;  an  attempt 
in  recent  years  to  ascribe  to  him  the  belhitn  Africum  and  a  portion  of 
the  belbwi  Alexandrinum  has  utterly  failed.  Pollio  first  introduced 
the  practice  of  reading  portir  ..s  of  one's  works  to  a  circle  of  friends 
{t-ea'tationes),  which  became  a  regular  I.'^bit  under  the  empire,  and  we 

160 


HORATI   CARMINA 


[2,  I,  6 


may  well  believe  that  Horace  had  in  this  way  heard  portions  of  the 
work  he  praises,  apparently  the  parts  dealing  with  Pharsalus,  Thapsus. 
and  Cato's  death  (17-28). 

The  date  of  the  ode  is  wholly  uncertain,  but  it  is  noteworthy  that 
vv.  29-36  express  the  same  weariness  of  civil  strife  and  bloodshed  that 
we  find  C.  i,  2,  and  14,  Epod.  9  and  16.     Metre,  68. 

Motum  ex  Metello  consule  civicum 
bellique  causas  et  vitia  et  modos 
ludumque  Fortunae  gravisque 
principum  amicitias  et  arma 

5  nondum  expiatis  uncta  cruoribus, 

periculosae  plenum  opus  aleae, 


I  f .  motum :  disturbance,  in- 
cluding all  the  troubles  from  the 
time  of  the  first  triumvirate. — ex 
Metello  consule :  L.  Afranius  and 
Q.  Caecilius  Metellus  Celer,  coss. 
60  B.C.  —  belli :  modifying  the 
three  following  nouns. — causas: 
the  defeat  and  death  of  Crassus  at 
Carrhae  (53  B.C.).  Still,  the  death 
in  54  B.C.  of  Julia,  Caesar's  daugh- 
ter and  Pompey's  wife,  had  al- 
ready broken  the  last  personal 
bond  between  these  two  mem- 
bers of  the  coalition. — vitia:  mis- 
takes. —  modos :  phases. 

3  f .  ludimi  Fortunae  :  here  con- 
ceived as  the  goddess  who  delights 
in  the  arbitrary  exercise  of  her 
power ;  she  is  so  described  3,  29, 
49  ff.  Fortnna  saevo  laeta  negotio 
et  I  ludum  insolentem  ludere  per- 
tinax  I  transmutat  incertos  ho- 
nores,  |  nunc  mihi,  nunc  alii 
benigna.  The  varied  fortunes  and 
tragic  deaths  of  Caesar,  Crassus, 


and  Pompey  were  eminent  exam- 
ples of  Fortune's  wanton  sport.  — 
gravisque  principum  amicitias : 
the  first  triumvirate,  in  which  the 
compact  and  subsequent  quarrels 
between  the  leading  citizens  (prin- 
cipum) were  of  serious  import  to 
the  state.  Cf.  Caelius,  ad  fain. 
8,  14,  2  sic  Hit  a  mores  et  invidiosa 
coniunctio  (sc.  inter  Caesarem  et 
Pompeium)  non  ad  occultam  re- 
cidit  obtrectationem,  sed  ad  bellum 
se  erjipit.  Also  Lucan,  i,  84  fF.  — 
arma  :  i.e.  those  used  at  Pharsalia. 
Thapsus,  Philippi. 

5.  nondum  expiatis  :  the  sin  of 
fraternal  strife  is  still  to  be  atoned 
for.  Cf.  I,  2,  29  ;  Epod.  7.  3. 19  f. 
—  cruoribus  :  the  plural  empha- 
sizes the  different  instances. 

6  ff.  opus :  in  apposition  with 
the  foregoing  sentence.  While 
Octavian  was  clearly  victor  after 
Actium,  the  struggles  of  the  civil 
war   were   too   recent  to  allow   a 


161 


1.7] 


HORATI 


15 


tractas  et  incedis  per  ignis 
suppositos  cineri  doloso. 

Paulum  severae  musa  tragoediae 
desit  theatris  ;  mox  ubi  publicas 
res  ordinaris,  grande  munus 
Cecropio  repetes  coturno, 

insigne  maestis  praesidium  reis 
et  consulenti,  Pollio,  curiae, 
cui  laurus  aeternos  honores 
Delmatico  peperit  triumpho. 


frank  historical  treatment ;  old 
wounds  would  be  torn  open  and 
old  animosities  revived.  The  ex- 
pression per  ignis,  etc.,  is  prover- 
bial. Cf.  Callim.  Epig.  44,  2  -rrvp 
viro  Trj  (TTToBir),  Propert.  I,  5,  4  f . 
mfelix,  properas  ultima  nosse 
mala  \  et  miser  ignotos  vestigia 
ferre  per  ignes.  Macaulay,  Hist. 
Eng.  c.  6.  '  When  the  historian 
of  this  troubled  reign  (that  of 
James  II)  turns  to  Ireland,  his 
task  becomes  peculiarly  difficult 
and  delicate.  His  steps  —  to  bor- 
row the  fine  image  used  on  a  similar 
occasion  by  a  Roman  poet  —  are 
on  the  thin  crust  of  ashes  beneath 
which  the  lava  is  still  glowing.' 

9  ff .  Note  how  skillfully  Horace 
introduces  these  complimentary 
allusions  to  Pollio's  other  literary 
attainments.  —  paulum:  for  a 
little :  i.e.  until  the  history  shall 
be  finished.  —  severae :  solemn.  — 
desit :  the  public  will  miss  the 
tragedies.  —  theatris  :  with  the 
plural,  cf.  I,  2,  15  f.     This  is  not 


proof  that  Pollio's  plays  were 
acted ;  they  were  probably  in- 
tended to  be  read. 

II  f.  ordinaris  :  set  in  order,  i.e. 
have  arranged  the  details  of  thy 
work.  —  repetes :  thou  shalt  re- 
sume thy  glorious  task  (grande 
munus).  —  Cecropio  coturno  :  the 
high  buskin  {cothurnus)  was  worn 
by  actors  in  tragedy,  the  low  slipper 
{soccus)  in  comedy.  The  adjective 
Cecropio  is  appropriate,  as  Athens 
was  the  place  where  tragedy  came 
to  its  highest  perfection. 

13  f.  praesidium  .  .  .  reis: 
eight  of  the  nine  titles  of  Pollio's 
speeches  are  for  the  defense.  This 
verse  was  probably  in  Ovid's  mind 
when  he  wrote  of  Germanicus 
Easti  I,  22  civica  pro  trepidis  cutn 
tulit  arma  reis.  —  consulenti :  in 
its  deliberations.  The  phrase  in- 
signe praesidium  is  still  applicable 
here,  as  Pollio's  advice  was  a  de- 
fense to  the  welfare  of  the  state. 

16.  Cf.  introductory  note  to 
this  ode. 


162 


CARMINA 


[2,  I,  26 


25 


lam  nunc  minaci  murmure  cornuum 
perstringis  auris,  iam  litui  strepunt, 
iam  fulgor  armorum  fugacis 
terret  equos  equitumque  voltus. 

Audire  magnos  iam  videor  duces 
non  indecoro  pulvere  sordidos 
et  cuncta  terrarum  subacta 

praeter  atrocem  animum  Catonis. 

luno  et  deorum  quisquis  amicior 
Afris  inulta  cesserat  impotens 


17.  iam  nunc  :  Horace  dramati- 
cally represents  himself  as  actually 
listening  to  the  reading  of  the  his- 
tory. 

18  f.  perstringis:  din  nest. — 
fulgor  armorum :  cf.  the  Homeric 
■)(^i.Xkov  cTTepoTTT/,  and  Quint.  10, 
y>  fulgor  em  qui  terreat,  qualis  est 
ferri,  quo  7nens  sitiiid  visiisque 
praestringittir .  —  fugacis  :  pro- 
leptic  with  terret,  —  '  throws  the 
horses  into  terrified  flight.''  — 
equos  equitumque  :  cf.  Tennyson's 
similar  assonance  '  while  horse 
and  hero  fell.'  —  voltus  :  by  zeugma 
with  terret,  daunts  the  rider's  gaze, 
etc.  To  make  this  refer  to  the 
story  that  Caesar  ordered  his  sol- 
diers at  Pharsalus  to  strike  at  the 
faces  of  the  young  nobles  in  the 
opposing  army  is  .strained  and  un- 
natural. 'The  phrase  is  intended 
simply  to  give  us  a  vivid  picture 
of  the  panic-stricken  horsemen. 

21  ff.  audire".  .  .  videor:  'as 
you  read,'  continuing  the  vividness 
of  iam  nunc,  V.  17.  —  duces  .   .   ., 


cimcta  .  .  .  subacta :  both  the 
objects  of  audire  —  to  hear  the 
story  of. 

23  f .  cuncta  terranmi  :  cf.  4, 
12,19  (^"i^fii  cur  arum .  —  atrocem  : 
stubborn ;  in  praise,  as  Sil.  Ital. 
13,  369  atrox  virtus. — Catonis: 
the  canonized  object  of  praise  by 
stoics  and  rhetoricians.     Cf.  n.  to 

I,  12,35- 

25  ff.  The  mention  of  Cato  re- 
calls Thapsus  and  the  long  history 
of  wars  in  Africa.  Juno  was  the 
patron  goddess  of  Carthage,  in  the 
Aeneid  the  opponent  of  Aeneas, 
and  so  hostile  to  Italy.  With 
this  strophe  Horace  passes  to  ex- 
pressions of  regret  for  the  civil 
struggles  that  form  the  subject  of 
Pollio's  history. 

—  cesserat:  note  the  tense. 
'Once  the  gods  had  been  forced 
to  withdraw  from  the  doomed 
African  cities,  powerless  (impo- 
tens) to  help  them ;  now  they 
have  had  their  revenge.'  The 
Romans  had  a  rite  {evocatto)  for 


163 


2,  I,  27] 


HORATI 


30 


35 


tellure  victorum  nepotes 
rettulit  inferias  lugurthae. 

Quis  non  Latino  sanguine  pinguior 
campus  sepulcris  impia  proelia 
testatur  auditumque  Medis 
Hesperiae  sonitum  ruinae  ? 

Qui  gurges  aut  quae  flumina  lugubris 
ignara  belli  ?     Quod  mare  Dauniae 
non  decoloravere  caedes  ? 

Quae  caret  ora  cruore  nostro  ? 


calling  forth  from  a  beleaguered 
city  of  the  enemy  the  local  divini- 
ties, whose  departure  was  neces- 
sary before  the  town  could  be 
captured.  When  the  gods  had 
gone,  the  city  was  doomed.  Cf. 
Vergil  A.  2,  351  f.  (of  Troy)  ex- 
cessere  omnes,  adytis  arisque  re- 
lict is,  I  di,  quibus  irnperium  hoc 
steterai,  and  Tac.  Hist.  5,  13,  of 
the  capture  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus. 

27.  victorum  nepotes,  etc. :  the 
commander  of  the  Pompeian  army 
at  Thapsus  was  Metellus  Scipio, 
grandson  of  the  Metellus  Numidi- 
cus  who  commanded  (109-107 
B.C.)  in  the  war  against  Jugurtha. 
The  Pompeians  who  fell  at  Thap- 
sus, ten  thousand  in  number,  are 
here  described  as  offerings  at  the 
tomb  of  the  Numidian  king.  It  is 
interesting  to  remember  in  this 
connection  that  Sallust  had  pub- 
lished \\\%  Jugurtha  in  recent  years. 

29.  Latino  sanguine  :  cf.  Epod. 
7,    3  f.    parumne    cavtpis    atque 


164 


Neptuno  super  \  fusum  est  Latini 
sanguinis  ? — pinguior :  fatter.  Cf. 
Verg.  G.  I,  491  f.  nee  fuit  indig- 
nuni  superis,  bis  sanguine  nostro  \ 
Emathiam  et  latos  Hae7ni  pin- 
guescere  cainpos. 

30.  impia:  as  pietas  denotes 
the  proper  relation  between  rela- 
tives, the  adjective  unholy  is  espe- 
cially applicable  to  the  unnatural 
struggles  of  the  civil  war.  Cf. 
Epod.  16,  9  impia  .   .   .  act  as. 

31  f.  audittunque  Medis,  etc.  : 
the  Parthians  would  naturally  re- 
joice at  the  internal  quarrels  of 
Rome.  Cf  Epod.  7,  9  f.  sedut  se- 
cundum vota  Parthorum  sua  \ 
7erbs  haec  periret  dexter  a.  —  He- 
speriae :  i.e.  the  western  world, 
Italy. 

33  f .  gurges :  flood,  but  often 
nothing  more  than  the  poetic 
equivalent  of  mare.  Cf  Verg.  G. 
4,  387  in  Carpathio  Neptuni  gur- 
gite. — Dauniae:  Apulian,  in  the 
sense  of  Italian.   Cf  n.  to  i,  22,  14. 


CARMINA  [2,  2 

Sed  ne  relictis,  musa  procax,  iocis 
Ceae  retractes  munera  neniae ; 
mecum  Dionaeo  sub  antro 
40  quaere  modos  leviore  plectro. 

37  ff.    Horace  suddenly  checks  38.    Ceae  retractes   munera  ne- 

himself;  as   the  poet  of  love    he  niae:  assume  again  the  functions 

must  not  allow  his  muse  to  raise  a  of  the  Cean  dirge.     Simonides  of 

strain  of  grief    In  a  similar  fashion  Ceos    (556-467    B.C.)    was    noted 

he  suddenly  stops  his  serious  verses  for  the  pathos  of  his  elegies  (^p^- 

3.  3,  69  i.  nan  hoc  iocosae  conveniet  voi).  such  as  he  wrote  on  those 

lyrae;  \  quo,   Musa,   tendisf  —  ne  who  fell  at  Thermopylae  and  Sal- 

. . .  retractes  :  dependent  on  quaere,  amis. 

etc.     You  must  not, .  .  .  bid  rather,  39  ^ •    Dionaeo  sub  antro  :  Dione 

etc.    Cf  1,33,  iff. — procax:  bold,  was   the  mother  of  Venus.     The 

here  hardly  to  be  distinguished  in  poet   of  love  naturally   seeks  his 

meaning  from  lascivus,  applicable  inspiration  in  her  grotto.  —  leviore 

to   the   muse   of    love   poetry.  —  plectro:  cf  Ovid.  Met.   10,  150  f. 

iocis  :  -Kdiyvva.,  songs  of  love  and  where  Orpheus  says  cecini  plectro 

wine,  as  e.g.  the  fourth  ode  of  this  graviore  gigantas,  \  nunc  opus  est 

book.     Cf.  3,  3,  6g  iocosa  lyra.  leviore  lyra. 


'Silver  shines  from  use,  Crispus,  not  when  hidden  in  the  earth. 
Proculeius  has  won  eternal  fame  by  his  generosity.  He  who  curbs 
his  eager  soul  is  more  a  ruler  than  the  lord  of  Africa  and  Europe  ;  ava- 
rice like  dropsy  grows  by  indulgence.  True  wisdom  counts  not  happy 
even  Phraates  seated  on  the  throne  of  Cyrus,  but  reckons  king  only 
him  who  has  no  lingering  look  for  heaps  of  gold.' 

The  ode  is  addressed  to  C.  Sallustius  Crispus,  the  grandnephew  and 
adopted  son  of  Sallust  the  historian,  whose  great  wealth  he  inherited 
in  36  B.C.  At  first  he  was  a  partisan  of  Antony,  but  later  attached  him- 
self to  Augustus  and  became  his  most  trusted  confidant  next  to  Maece- 
nas;  like  the  latter  he  was  content  with  equestrian  rank,  enjoying 
in  reality  greater  power  and  position  than  senatorial  dignity  could  have 
brought  him.  The  moderation  in  expenditures  here  attributed  to  him  is 
hardly  consistent  with  the  statement  of  Tacitus,  whose  fiill  account 
{Annal.  3,  30)  is  as  follows,  atque  ilk,  quamquam  prompto  ad  capessen- 
dos  honores  aditu,  Maecenatem  aemulatus,  sine  dignitate  senatoria  multos 

165 


2,  2,  I]  HORATI 

triumphalium  consular iumqite  potentia  anteiit,  diversus  a  veterum 
iiistituto  per  cultum  et  inunditias  copiaque  et  aJjHuentia  luxii  propior. 
Siiberat  tainen  vigor  anitni  ingentibns  negotiis  par,  eo  acrior,  quo  soin- 
nuf/i  et  ittertiam  jnagis  ostentabat.  His  generosity  is  celebrated  in  an 
epigram  of  Crinagoras,  Anth.  Pal.  i6,  40  yttVoves  ov  rpio-o-ai  ^lovvov 
Tu;^ai  eTTpeirov  clvai,  |  K.pi(nr€,  (3a6vTr\ovTov  aij';  evcKtv  K/aaSt?;?,  |  dAAa 
Kixl  at  Travrwv  Tracrai  •  ri  yap  av8pl  ToawSe  |  apKeaei  eh  eTapwy  p.vpiov 
tv<f>poavvr)V ;  \  vvv  Se  ac  Koi  tovtwv  Kpicrawv  iiri  p-ti^ov  di$OL  |  Kaiorap  • 
Tt's  KtLvov  xnnph  ap-qpt  rvxr}-  '  Not  three  goddesses  of  Fortune  alone 
should  be  thy  neighbors,  Crispus,  for  thy  rich  and  generous  heart,  but 
rather  every  kind  of  Fortune  in  every  event  should  be  thine.  For  what 
can  be  enough  for  such  a  man  to  reward  his  endless  kindness  toward 
his  friends  ?  Nay,  now  may  Caesar  who  is  mightier  than  these,  exalt 
thee  still  more ;  what  Fortune  is  pleasing  without  his  favor  ? ' 
\  The  ode  is  an  expansion  on  the  Stoic  paradox,  'the  wise  alone  is 
'rich.'  The  date  of  composition  is  probably  fixed  by  17  ff.  as  soon 
after  27  B.C.     Metre,  69. 

Nullus  argento  color  est  avaris 
abdito  terris,  inimice  lamnae 
Crispe  Sallusti,  nisi  temperato 
splendeat  usu. 

5  Vivet  extento  Proculeius  aevo, 

notus  in  fratres  animi  paterni ; 

1.  An  imitation  of  the  verse  came  common  in  the  late  republic 
quoted  by  Plutarch  Trept  Svo-toTrtas  when  the /r«<?;/flw^«  was  omitted  ; 
10,  ovK  ea-T  iv  avrpois  Xcdko?,  w  it  possibly  belonged  to  familiar  ad- 
^ev,  apyvpos.  —  color :  luster.  — -  dress,  but  Cicero  uses  it  in  his 
avaris  :  the  adjective  describing  speeches  as  well  as  in  his  letters, 
the  greed  of  the  miser  is  here  3  f .  nisi  .  .  .  splendeat :  the 
applied  to  the   earth,  that   hides  protasis  to  inimice  lamnae. 

the  silver  from  the  light.    Intr.  99.  5  f.  extento  aevo:  with  life  pro- 

2.  terris :  abl.  For  the  senti-  longed  beyojid  the  grave.  Gen- 
ment,  cf.  S.  i,  i,  41  f.  quid  iuvat,  erosity  secures  immortality.  — 
inmensum  te  argent i  pondus  et  Proculeius:  the  brother-in-law  of 
atiri  I  furtim  defossa  timidum  Maecenas  and  one  of  the  closest 
deponere  terra  ?  —  lamnae  :    hd-  friends  of  Augustus.     He  divided 

.  lion. — Crispe  Sallusti:  -the  inver-      his  property  equally  with  his  two 
sion  of  nomen  and  cognomett  be-      brothers  Caepio  and  Murena,  who 

166 


CARMINA 


[2,  2,  20 


»5 


ilium  aget  penna  metuente  solvi 
fama  superstes. 

Latius  regnes  avidum  domando 
spiritum  quam  si  Libyam  remotis 
Gadibus  iungas  et  uterque  Poenus 
serviat  uni. 

Crescit  indulgens  sibi  dirus  hydrops, 
nee  sitim  pellit,  nisi  eausa  morbi 
fugerit  venis  et  aquosus  albo 
corpore  languor. 

Redditum  Cyri  solio  Phraaten 
dissidens  plebi  numero  beatorum 
eximit  Virtus  populumque  falsis 
dedocet  uti 


had  lost  their  wealth  in  the  civil 
wars.  —  animi  paterni :  genitive  of 
specification,  giving  the  reason 
for  his  fame  (notus).     Intr.  93. 

7  f .  metuente  solvi :  i.e.  iti- 
dissolubili ;  '  bear  on  wing  that 
will  not  flag.''  The  idea  of  '  fear- 
ing' in  metuente  has  in  this 
phrase  faded  to  that  of  'shrink- 
ing,' 'hesitating.'  Cf.  3,  11,  10 
met  nit  tangi  —  intact  a.  —  super- 
stes :  '  ever  surviving '  and  so 
'  immortal.' 

9.  Cf.  Proverbs  16.  32  '  He  that 
ruleth  his  spirit  is  mightier  than  he 
that  taketh  a  city.' 

II  f.  iungas:  i.e.  as  king  and 
owner.  —  uterque  Poenus  :  expand- 
ing the  previous  phrase.  Horace 
means  the  Carthaginians  of  Africa 
and  of  Spain.  —  uni :  sc.  tiln. 


13.  indulgens  sibi:  the  means 
by  which  avarice,  like  dropsy, 
grows.  —  hydrops  :  the  disease  is 
almost  personified. 

15  f.  fugerit :  be  driven  from  ; 
virtually  the  passive  of  ftigare.  — 
aquosus  .  .  .  languor :  weariness 
caused  by  the  water.  —  albo  :  pallid, 
from  the  disease. 

17.  redditum:  probably  in  27 
B.C.  Cf.  n.  to  I,  26,  5.  Note 
the  emphasis,  'for  all  his  return.' 

18  f.  beatonmi  :  'the  really 
fortunate  and  rich.'  Note  the 
hypermetric  line.  —  Virtus  :  right 
reasoning,  i.e.  the  opinion  of  the 
wise  and  good  —  the  Stoics  — 
opposed  to  the  estimates  of  the 
vulgar  herd  (dissidens  plebi). 

20.  dedocet:  teaches  the  people 
to  give  up  the  use  of,  etc. 


167 


2,  2,  21]  HORATI 

vocibus,  regnum  et  diadema  tutum 
deferens  uni  propriamque  laurum, 
quisquis  ingentis  oculo  inretorto 
spectat  acervos. 

21   ff.   falsis  .  .  .  vocibus:  'to  went   around   the   Persian   king's 

call  a  man  beatiis  simply  because  tiara. 

he  is  rich  or  powerful  is  a  misuse  22.  uni:  to  him  and  hiin  alone, 
of  the  term.  Wealth  and  power  who.  —  propriam:  as  his  sure  pos- 
are  the  sure  possession  of  him  session,  repeating  the  idea  ex- 
alone  who  is  not  moved  by  greed.'  pressed  in  tutum. 
Cf.  Sen.  Thy.  389  f.  rex  est,  qui  23  f.  'Whoever  can  look  at 
cupiet  nihil;  \  hoc  regnum  sibi  great  heaps  of  treasure  (and  pass 
quisque  dat. — regnum  .  .  .  defe-  on)  without  one  backward  glance.' 
reus  :  the  method  by  which  virtus  —  inretorto  :  a  compound  made 
drives  home  her  lesson.  —  dia-  by  Horace  with  the  negative  prefix 
dema :  properly  the  blue  band  that  in-  and  the  participle  of  retorqueo. 


y 


In  the  preceding  ode  Horace  expanded  a  Stoic  maxim;  in  this  he 
gives  us  a  similar  treatment  of  a  favorite  Epicurean  principle,  '  enjoy 
life  while  you  may,  but  never  too  extravagantly,  for  death  is  close  at 
hand.     Neither  riches  nor  family  can  save  us  from  the  common  doom.' 

The  Dellius  addressed  is  undoubtedly  Q.  Dellius,  whom  Messala 
nicknamed  desultor  bellorum  civilium  because  of  his  frequent  changes 
of  allegiance  during  the  civil  wars.  In  31  B.C.  he  returned  finally  to 
Octavian's  side,  and  later  became  one  of  his  trusted  courtiers.  The 
place  of  the  ode  here  was  determined  both  by  the  similarity  of  its  sub- 
ject with  that  of  2,  and  especially  by  Horace's  desire  to  give  Dellius  a 
place  next  Sallust.     Cf.  intr.  n.  to  2,  i. 

The  date  of  composition  cannot  be  determined,  but  is  clearly  later 
than  the  reconciliation  between  Uellius  and  Octavianus.     Metre,  68. 

Aequam  memento  rebus  in  arduis 
servare  mentem,  non  secus  in  bonis 

I  f.  aequam  .  .  .  mentem,  place.  Cf.  Archil.  Frg.  66  /iT^re 
etc.  :  '  a  calm  and  even  spirit  is  a  vikw  dficfxiBrjv  aydXXto  |  fi^re 
defense  against  every  change  of  vikt^^cis  eV  oikw  KaTaTrecrtov  66vpeo. 
life.'     The  sentiment  is  a  common-      '  Rejoice  not  openly  when  victori- 

168 


CARMINA 


[2,  3.  lo 


ab  insolenti  temperatam 
laetitia,  moriture  Delli, 

seu  maestus  omni  tempore  vixeris, 
seu  te  in  remoto  gramine  per  dies 
festos  reclinatum  bearis 
interiore   nota  Falerni. 

Quo  pinus  ingens  albaque  populus 
umbram  hospitalem  consociare  amant 


ous,  nor  when  defeated  lie  down 
and  weep  within  thy  house.'  — 
arduis :  placed  at  the  end  of  the 
verse  to  contrast  with  aequam,  an 
even  vitnd,  .  .  .  a  steep  and  toil- 
some path.  Intr.  27. — non  secus 
.  .  .  temperatam :  and  no  less  to 
keep,  etc.  —  in  bonis  :  in  position 
as  well  as  in  thought  contrasted 
with  in  arduis.     Intr.  27. 

3  f .  insolenti :  unwonted,  and  so 
extravagant.  —  moriture  :  equiva- 
lent to  cum  moriturtis  sis.  The 
knell  that  gives  the  reason  for  the 
previous  advice.     Intr.  no. 

5  f .  seu  .  .  .  seu :  following  on 
moriture,  not  memento.  With 
the  sentiment  of  the  strophe,  cf. 
an  anonymous  epigram  to  Ana- 
creon  Anth.  Pal.  7,  33  'ttoXXol 
TTiwv  riOvrjKa'i.  'Am/cpeov.'  '  dXAa 
Tpv<f>yj(Ta<;-  I  «at  (tv  8e  firj  TrtVwv  t^eai 
cis^AiSt^v.'  '  Deep  hast  thou  drunk 
and  art  dead,  Anacreon.'  '  Yet  I 
enjoyed  it.  And  thou,  though 
thou  drink  not  at  all,  wilt  still 
come  to  Hades.'  —  in  remoto 
gramine :  on  some  retired  and 
grassy  spot.  Cf.  i,  17,  17  in  rc- 
ducta  valle.  —  per  dies  festos :  the 


preposition  is  distributive,  —  on 
every  festal  day.  Cf.  2,  14,  I'^per 
autumnos. 

8.  interiore  nota  :  with  an  inner 
brand.  The  wine  after  fermenta- 
tion was  drawn  from  the  dolia  into 
amphorae,  which  then  were  sealed 
with  the  name  of  the  consuls  of 
the  year.  Cf.  3,  21,  i  o  nata 
mecunt  consule  Manlio  (sc.  testa). 
The  sealed  amphorae  were  stowed 
away  in  the  apotheca ;  and  those 
in  the  farthest  part  of  the  store- 
room (hence  interiore)  naturally 
contained  the  oldest  and  best 
wine^  —  Falerni :  cf.  n.  to  i,  27,  9. 

9-12.  After  vv.  6-8  Horace 
dramatically  imagines  that  he  and 
his  friend  are  already  lying  on  the 
grass  with  cups  in  hand,  and  puts 
the  questions  naturally  suggested 
by  the  surroundings,  'Why  do 
these  things  exist  except  for  our 
enjoyment  ? '  —  quo :  why.  —  pinus 
.  .  .  populus :  the  tall  Italian 
pine  with  its  dark  shade  forms  an 
artistic  contrast  to  the  white  pop- 
lar with  its  trembling  leaves.  For 
the  order,  see  Intr.  20.  —  consoci- 
are :  to  entwine.  —  amant :  literally, 


169 


2,3.   "] 


HORATI 


ramis  ?     Quid  obliquo  laborat 
lympha  f  ugax  trepidare  rivo  ? 

Hue  vina  et  unguenta  et  nimium  brevis 
fiores  amoenae  ferre  iube  rosae, 
15  dum  res  et  aetas  et  sororum 

fila  trium  patiuntur  atra. 

Cedes  coemptis  saltibus  et  dorao 
villaque  flavus  quam  Tiberis  lavit, 
cedes  et  exstructis  in  altum 
20  divitiis  potietur  heres. 


not  equivalent  to  solent.  —  quid 
obliquo,  etc.  :  why  does  the  fleeting 
water  fret  its  quivering  way  along 
the  winding  stream  ?  —  trepidare  : 
for  the  infin.,  see  Intr.  107 ;  for 
the  order,  21. 

13  f.  nimium  brevis,  etc.  : 
'  Gather  ye  rosebuds  while  ye 
may  ;  ]  Old  time  is  still  a  flying ;  | 
And  this  same  flower  that  blooms 
to-day,  I  To-morrow  will  be  dy- 
ing.' With  brevis  of.  i,  36,  16 
breve  liliH7?t.  The  adjective  em- 
phasizes the  fleeting  character  of 
life,  expressed  in  the  following 
dum  .  .   .  patiuntur. 

15  f.  res :  fortuife.  affairs,  in 
general.  —  aetas:  i.e.  before  old 
age  comes  on  us.  Cf.  i.  9,  17 
donee  virenti  canities  abest  niorosa. 
—  sororum :  the  Fates  who  spin  the 
threads  of  life.  Cf.  Lowell  Villa 
Franca, '  Spin,  spin,  Clotho,  spin  ! 
Lachesis  twist  !  and,  Atropos, 
sever! ' —  atra  :  because  the  cutting 
of  the  thread  brings  death.  Cf.  n. 
to  I,  37,  27  atriim  venenum. 


17  ff.  cedes . . .  cedes :  thou  shall 
give 7ip . ..,  aye, give  up.  Intr.  28 c. 
'All  thy  riches  cannot  save  thee.' 
—  saltibus :  upland  pastures,  in  the 
mountain  valleys  between  the  hills, 
valuable  for  grazing.  Cf.  Epist. 
2.  2,  177  ff.  quidve  Calabris  \  salti- 
bus adiecti  Lucani  (sc.  prosunt),  si 
vtetit  Orcus  |  grandia  cum  pa^'vis, 
nan  exorabilis  auro? — domo  villa- 
que :  the  city  residence  and  country 
seat  alike. 

19  f.  The  dreaded  specter  of  the 
heir  who  enters  into  the  fruits  of 
his  predecessor's  labors  is  common 
enough  in  Horace's  moralizing.  Cf 
2,  14,  25;  3,  24,  62;  4,  7,  19.  So 
Ecclesiastes,  2,  19  'And  who  know- 
eth  whether  he  shall  be  a  wise 
man  or  a  fool  ?  yet  shall  he  have 
rule  over  all  my  labour  wherein  1 
have  laboured,  and  wherein  I  have 
shewed  wisdom  under  the  sun.' 
Ecclesiasticus  14,  4  '  He  that  gath- 
ereth  by  defrauding  his  own  soul 
gathereth  for  others,  that  shall 
spend  his  goods  riotously.' 
70 


CARMINA 


[2,4 


25 


Divesne  prisco  natus  ab  Inacho 
nil  interest  an  pauper  et  infima 
de  gente  sub  divo  moreris, 
victima  nil  miserantis  Orci. 

Omnes  eodem  cogimur,  omnium 
versatur  urna  serius  ocius 

sors  exitura  et  nos  in  aeternum 
exsilium  impositura  cumbae. 


21  f.  divesne,  etc.:  predicate  with 
natus  and  dependent  on  nihil  in- 
terest ;  the  verb  is  supplied  by  mo- 
reris below.  —  Inacho:  Inachus,  the 
mythical  king  of  Argos,  typical  of 
antiquity.  Cf.  3,  19,  i.  'An  an- 
cient noble  line  is  of  no  more  avail 
than  a  poor  and  humble  one.' 

23  f.  sub  divo  :  beiieath  the  light 
<»/'^/«y, 'under  the  canopy.'  Cf.  i, 
I,  25  sub  love.  — moreris :  '  this  life 
is  but  an  inn,  no  home.'  Cf.  Cic. 
CM.  84  com?norandi  enim  natura 
devorsorinm  ftobis,  non  habitatidt 
dedit.  —  victima,  etc.  :  grammati- 
cally in  apposition  to  the  subject 
of  moreris  ;  but  from  its  position 
at  the  end  of  the  strophe  it  ac- 
quires an  effective  emphasis  — for 
none  the  less  thou  art,  etc. 

25  f .  omnes  ....  omnium :  Intr. 


28  c. — cogimur:  the  souls  of  the 
dead  are  driven  by  Mercury  like 
cattle.  Cf.  I,  24,  18  nigro  compii- 
lerit  Mercnriiis  gregi.  —  versatur 
urna:  in  ancient  determinations  by 
lot  small  billets  of  wood  or  pebbles 
{sortes),  each  of  which  had  a  name 
written  on  it,  were  cast  into  a  jar. 
This  was  then  shaken  until  one  of 
the  lots  leaped  out.  —  serius  ocius  : 
sooner  or  later :  in  such  combina- 
tions, asyndeton  is  common. 

27  f.  aeternum:  with  this  hyper- 
metric  verse,  cf.  2,  2,  18.  —  exil- 
ium :  '  death  is  an  exile  from  the 
joys  of  life ;  thence  no  man  re- 
turns.' —  cumbae  :  Charon's  boat. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  jp"},  ferrtiginea  snb- 
vectat  corpora- at //iba,  and  Prop.  4, 
18,  24  scandendast  torvi  piiblica 
cumba  senis. 


Horace  teases  one  of  his  friends  who  has  fallen  in  love  with  a  maid- 
servant, and  in  mock-heroic  style  brings  his  victim  precedents  from  the 
age  of  heroes.  'Achilles,  Ajax,  and  even  mighty  Agamemnon  have 
been  smitten  with  captive  hand-maidens  before  you.  Be  sure  that  your 
flame,  like  theirs,  is  the  child  of  royal  parents  ;  she  must  be  noble,  she  is  so 
true.     What,  jealous  !     Bless  you,  I'm  too  old  to  play  the  part  of  rival.' 

171 


2,  4,  i] 


HORAII 


Who  Horace's  friend  was  is  quite  unknown.  The  name  Xanthias 
of  Phocis  is  an  invention,  Hke  '  Cnidius  Gyges  '  in  v.  20  of  the  follow- 
ing ode.  The  date  of  composition  is  fixed  by  v.  23  f.  as  about  25  B.C. 
Metre,  69. 

Ne  sit  ancillae  tibi  amor  pudori, 

Xanthia  Phoceu,  prius  insolentem 

serva  Briseis  niveo  colore 

movit  Achillem, 

5  movit  Aiacem  Telamone  natum 

forma  captivae  dominum  Tecmessae ; 
arsit  Atrides  medio  in  triumpho 
virgine  rapta, 

barbarae  postquam  cecidere  turmae 
10  Thessalo  victore  et  ademptus  Hector 


I  ff.  ne  sit :  a  negative  purpose 
clause,  depending  on  the  following 
illustrations.  Cf.  i,  33,  iff.;  4,  9, 
I.  We  may  translate,  Vou  need 
not  be  ashamed  .  .  . ,  for  Briseis, 
etc.  —  ancillae :  objective  geni- 
tive with  amor. — prius:  used  ad- 
verbially, belonging  to  all  three 
examples;  'you  are  not  the  first.' 
—  insolentem :  for  all  his  haughti- 
ness. Cf.  Horace's  directions  for 
the  portrayal  of  Achilles,  Epist.  2, 
3,  1 20  ff.  scriptor  si  forte  reponis 
Achilletn,  \  impiger,  iracundus, 
ijiexorabilis,  acer  \  iura  neget  sibi 
nata,  nihil  noti  arroget  arviis.  — 
niveo  colore :  instrumental  abl.  with 
movit.  So  Helen's  fair  beauty  was 
described  by  the  Alexandrians, 
VLcfi6e(T(ra  Ekevrj- 

4ff.  movit  .  .  .  movit  .  .  .  arsit: 
Intr.  28  c.  —  Telamone  natum  :  the 
Homeric      TeXefiwvtos      Atas-  — 


forma :  connect  with  Tecmessae. 
—  captivae  dominum  :  the  contrast 
is  emphasized  by  the  juxtaposi- 
tion. Intr.  26. — Tecmessae:  for 
the  quantity,  cf.  Intr.  34. 

8.  virgine  rapta :  Cassandra,  who 
was  torn  from  the  altar  of  Athena 
by  Ajax  Oileus  ;  in  the  division  of 
the  spoils  after  the  capture  of  Troy 
she  fell  to  Agamemnon's  share. 

9-12.  The  strophe  fixes  the  time 
and  gives  the  details  of  the  triumph 
in  the  midst  of  which  the  victor  was 
humbled  by  love  for  his  captive. — 
barbarae  :  i.e.  PJirygiae,  a  term  fre- 
quently used  by  the  Latin  poets  in 
imitation  of  the  Greek.  —  cecidere 
.  .  .  Thessalo  victore :  i.e.  when 
Achilles  returned  to  the  battle  after 
Patroclus'  death,  and  drove  the 
Trojans  in  flight  before  him.  — 
ademptus  Hector :  the  loss  of  Hec- 
tor.    Cf.  I,  3,  29  and  n. 


172 


CARMINA 


[2,  4,  24 


15 


tradidit  fessis  leviora  tolli 
Pergama  Grais. 

Nescias  an  te  generum  beati 
Phyllidis  flavae  decorent  parentes ; 
regium  certe  genus  et  penatis 
maeret  iniquos. 

Crede  non  illam  tibi  de  scelesta 
plebe  dilectam,  neque  sic  fidelem, 
sic  lucro  aversam  potuisse  nasci 
matre  pudenda. 

Bracchia  et  voltum  teretisque  suras 
integer  laudo  :  fuge  suspicari 
cuius  octavum  trepidavit  aetas 
claudere  lustrum. 


II.  fessis:  i.e.  with  the  ten  years' 
war.  —  leviora  tolli :  an  easier  prey. 
Intr.  108.  Horace  seems  to  have 
had  in  mind  //.  24,  243  f.  prftrtpoi 
yap  fmXXov  'A^^aioTcrtv  Srj  eaeaOe  \ 
K€ivov  TidvrfiiTOs  ivaLpe/xcv. 

13!  nescias:  potential,/^;/ ^«w- 
Hoi  tell,  it  t/iay  ivell  be  that.  — 
generum  :  in  bantering  tone,  •  you 
really  will  marry  her.'  — beati :  cf. 
n.  to  2,  2,  18. — flavae  :  a  point  of 
beauty.  Cf.  i,  5,  4. — decorent:  in 
contrast  to  the  ne  .  .  .  sit  amor  pu- 
dori  with  which  the  ode  opens. 

15.  regium  certe  genus :  in  the 
same  construction  as  Penatis  ini- 
quos :  the  iinkindness  of  her  Penates. 
'  Phyllis  will  prove  to  be  of  no  less 
royal  birth  than  Briseis,  Tecmessa, 
and  Cassandra.' 


17  ff.  Another  proof  of  noble 
lineage. — scelesta  plebe:  the  vol- 
giis  infidum,  on  whom  doubtless 
Xanthias  looked  with  scorn.  —  sic 
...  sic  :  in  mocking  irony,  as  she 
is.  —  lucro  aversam  :  likewise  in 
mockery,  for  Phyllis'  class  was 
noted  for  its  greed. 

21  f.  teretis,  shapely.  —  integer : 
heart-whole,  as  3,  7,  22  {Gyges) 
adhuc  integer.  —  fuge  suspicari : 
Intr.  104. 

23  f .  trepidavit :  a  favorite  word 
with  Horace.  Cf.  its  use,  2,  3.  12. 
1 1,  4 ;  4,  1 1,  1 1 .  His  life  has  hur- 
ried to  the  verge  of  forty  years. 
Horace  says  this  almost  with  a 
sigh,  '■  1  am  too  old,  or  faith.  I  would 
have  been  your  rival.'  —  claudere: 
Intr.  107. 


173 


2,  5,  I]  HORATI 


'  Lalage  is  too  young  to  bear  the  yoke  of  love.  Wait  a  bit,  and  she 
will  follow  you  and  outshine  your  former  loves.' 

The  comparison  of  the  young  Lalage  to  the  heifer  and  the  unripe 
grape,  as  well  as  the  bluntness  of  expression,  did  not  offend  the  ancient 
as  it  does  the  modern  taste.  The  ode  lacks  the  unity  of  the  better 
lyrics,  for  the  last  strophe  distracts  our  attention  from  the  central  object. 
There  is  no  hint  of  the  date  of  composition.     Metre,  68. 

Nondum  subacta  ferre  iugum  valet 
cervice,  nondum  munia  comparis 
aequare,  nee  tauri  mentis 
in  venerem  tolerare  pondus. 

5  Circa  virentis  est  animus  tuae 

campos  iuvencae,  nunc  fluviis  gravem 
solantis  aestum,  nunc  in  udo 
ludere  cum  vitulis  salicto 

praegestientis.     Tolle  cupidinem 
ro  immitis  uvae  ;  iam  tibi  lividos 

if.  The  figure  is  as  old  as  Homer,  7f.  udo  .  .  .  salicto:  />.  which 
who  uses  TrapOevoi  aSixyj^  of  a  young  grows  on  the  banks  of  the  stream, 
girl ;  so  8a/AaAis  and  Trdprts  in  la-  g  f.  praegestientis :  a  doubly  em- 
ter  writers. — valet:  the  indefinite  phatic  compound,  in  place  of  the 
subject  is  to  be  supplied  from  the  simple  ges/w,  expressing  eager  de- 
context,  either  piiella,  invenca,  or  sire.  Lalage's  only  thought  is  to 
Lalage.  — rawmBi:  continuing  the  gambol  with  her  mates. — cupidi- 
figure  of  the  first  line,  — 'to  do  her  nem  .  .  .  uvae  :  the  figure  of  the 
part  in  dragging  the  plow.'  heifer  is  abandoned  for  that  of  the 

5.  circa  ...  est :  is  busy  with;  unripe    grape,   made    familiar  by 

an  extension  of  the  local  use,  first  Alexandrian  poetry.    Ci.Anth.Pal. 

found  in  Horace  ;  evidently  in  imi-  5,  19,  3  f.  v.y]  /xr/r'  6iJ.<f>a$  firjT  dcrra- 

tation  of  the  Greek  thai  irtpi  tl.  <j!>ts  •    17  8«  TreVetpos  |  e's    KuTrpiSo? 

6f .  nunc . . .  nunc :  now . . .  again.  OaXdfiovi  wpia  KaXkoavvrj.     '  May 

—  fluviis  :    instrumental  abl.  with  she  be  neither  a  green  nor  an  over- 

solantis.  ripe  grape ;  but  let  her  beauty  be 

174 


CARMINA  [2,  5,  24 

distinguet  autumnus  racemos 
purpureo  varius  colore. 

lam  te  sequetur ;  currit  enim  ferox 
aetas,  et  illi  quos  tibi  dempserit 
'5  adponet  annos  ;  iam  proterva 

fronte  petet  Lalage  maritum, 

dilecta  quantum  non  Pholoe  fugax, 
non  Chloris,  albo  sic  umero  nitens 
ut  pura  nocturno  renidet 
20  luna  mari,  Cnidiusve  Gyges, 

quern  si  puellarum  insereres  choro, 
mire  sagacis  falleret  hospites 
discrimen  obscurum  solutis 
crinibus  ambiguoque  voltu. 

ready,  full  grown  for  Cypris'  bow-  the  comparisons  that  occupy  the 

ers.'  —  iam:  presently.  first  three  strophes. 

12.  purpureo . . .  colore :  the  color  17  ff.  '  Then  when  she  comes  of 

of  the  ripening,  not  the  ripe,  grape.  her  own  accord,  she  will  be  dearer 

Cf.  Ovid.  Met.  3,  484  f.  nt  variis  than  any  of  thy  former  loves.'  — 

solet  uva  racemis  \  ducere  piirpti-  fugax :  coqjiettish. 

rettm,  noiidtwi  matiir a,  colore  m. —  19.  pura:  niiclojtded. 

varius :  many-colored,  with  almost  21  f.  si . . .  insereres :  as  Achilles 

active  meaning.  was  concealed  by  his  mother  among 

13 f.  sequetur:  sc.  Lalage.  —  fe-  the  daughters  of  Lycomedes,  king 

rox  aetas  :  not  Lalage's  youth,  but  of  Scyros.  that  he  might  not  go  to 

time  in  general,  that  unrelentingly  Troy.      Cf.  n.  to  i,  8,  13.  —  mire: 

hurrieson. — tibi  dempserit,  etc.:  as  with    falleret.  —  hospites:    stran- 

if  time  took  from  the  lover's  years,  gers  :  with  reference  to  Ulysses  and 

of  which  too  many  already  have  Diomedes,  who  came  in  disguise  to 

gone.to  add  to  the  child's  small  sum.  Lycomedes'  court  that  they  might 

15 f-  proterva  fronte:    half  re-  find  Achilles, 

turning  to  the  figure  of  the  heifer.  24.  crinibus  .  .  .  voltu  :  ablative 

Lalage :    the  name  is  reserved  to  of  means  with  obscurum,  which  is 

this  point  to  avoid  conflict  with  equivalent  to  obsctiratnm. 

175 


2,  6,  I]  HORATI 


Addressed  to  the  poet's  devoted  friend  Septimius,  probably  the  same 
whom  he  commends  to  Tiberius,  Epist.  \,  9;  he  is  also  named  in  a 
letter  by  Augustus  to  Horace,  of  which  a  fragment  has  been  preserved 
by  Suetonius  in  his  life  of  Horace  (p.  297  R.).  A  melancholy  strain 
runs  through  the  ode  :  the  poet  is  filled  with  thoughts  of  his  old  age  and 
prays  that  Tivoli,  or  if  that  spot  be  refused,  beautiful  Tarentum,  may  be 
the  home  of  his  last  years.  There  Septimius  shall  shed  a  tear  over  the 
ashes  of  his  friend. 

The  exact  date  of  composition  cannot  be  determined,  but  it  has  been 
conjectured  with  good  reason  that  the  ode  was  written  during  an  illness, 
or  when  Horace  was  oppressed  with  fears  of  early  death ;  it  was  cer- 
tainly at  a  time  when  he  felt  his  position  established  so  that  he  could 
speak  of  himself  as  '  vales,''  i.e.  it  was  after  the  publication  of  the  epodes. 
Possibly  the  reference  in  v.  2  may  fix  the  date  as  between  27  and  25 
B.C.     See  n.  below.     Metre,  69. 

Septimi,  Gadis  aditure  mecum  et 
Cantabrum  indoctum  iuga  ferre  nostra  et 
barbaras  Syrtis,  ubi  Maura  semper 
aestuat  unda : 

5  Tibur  Argeo  positum  colono 

sit  meae  sedes  utinam  senectae, 

1.  Gadis :  the  modern  Cadiz ;  Augustus  conducted  campaigns 
*  to  the  limits  of  the  world.'  Cf.  against  them  in  person  in  27-25 
2,  2,  II  remotis  Gadibus.  —  B.C.,  but  they  were  not  finally 
aditure:  who  woiddst  go.  Intr.  subjugated  until  19  B.C.  Cf.  3, 
no.  So  Catullus  says  ironically  8,  22  Cantaber  sera  doiniUts  ca- 
ll, I  f.  Ftiri  et  Aiireli,  comites  tena,  and  4,  14,  41  Cantaber  non 
Cattilli,  I  siv e  in  extremes penetr a-  ante  domabilis. 

bit  Jndos,  etc.  3.   barbaras   Syrtis :    so   called 

2.  iuga  ferre:  dependent  on  alike  from  their  situation  and  cruel 
indoctum.  This  figure  taken  from  nature.  Cf.  i,  22.  5  per  Syrtis 
the  breaking  of  cattle  is  a  poeti-  .  .  .  aestuosas  and  Verg.  A.  4,  41 
cal  commonplace.     The  Cantabri  inhospita  Syrtis. 

were  a  fierce  people  in  northwest-  5.   Tibur :  for    Horace's    affec- 

ern    Spain   who    successfully    re-      tion  for  Tivoli,  cf.   i,  7,  1-21. — 
sisted  the  Romans  for  many  years.      Argeo  positum,  etc. :  i.e.  Tiburtus, 

176 


CARMINA 


[2,  6,  14 


sit  modus  lasso  maris  et  viarum 
militiaeque. 

Vnde  si  Parcae  prohibent  iniquae, 
dulce  pellitis  ovibus  Galaesi 
flumen  et  regnata  petam  Laconi 
rura  Phalantho. 

Ille  terrarum  mihi  praeter  omnis 
angulus  ridet,  ubi  non  Hymetto 


who  with  his  brothers  came  from 
Greece  and  founded  Tiber.  Cf. 
n.  to  I,  7,  13. — colono:  dat.  of 
agent. 

6ff.  Cf.  Mart.  4,  25.  7  voseritis 
nostrae  reqjiies  portusque  senec- 
tae.  —  sit  ...  sit :  Intr.  29. — 
utinam:  for  the  position,  see  Intr. 
31.  —  modus:  boutid.  Cf.  Avien. 
orb.  terr.  100  H.  hie  inodus  est 
orbis  Gadir.  —  lasso  :  so.  niiJii.  — 
maris  et  viarum:  cf.  Epist.  i,  11, 
6  odio  maris  atqtie  viarum ;  the 
phrase  was  adopted  by  Tacitus 
Ann.  2,  14  si  taedio  viarum  ac 
maris  finem  cupiaiit. 

9  ff.  Cf.  Epist.  1,7,  44  f.  par- 
vum  parva  decent :  mihi  iam  tion 
regia  Roma,  \  sed  vacmim  Tibur 
placet  aut  inbelle  Tarentiim.  — 
prohibent :  sc.  7ne.  —  iniquae  :  '  re- 
fusing their  favor.' 

10.  pellitis  ovibus :  the  sheep 
bred  in  the  valley  of  the  Galaesus 
near  Tarentum  had  such  fine 
fleeces  that  they  were  protected 
by  skin  blankets,  according  to 
Varro  R.  R.2,2.  The  river  val- 
ley seems  to  have  had  an  especial 
HOR.  CAR.  —  12  I 


charm.  It  is  praised  by  Archilo- 
chus  Erg.  2 1  oil  yap  tl  kuAos  ;!(a)pos 
ovS'  i<f>LfjL€po<;  I  ouS'  eparos,  olos 
a/x(f)L  Stptos  poas.  '  For  no  spot 
is  fair  or  charming  or  lovely,  as  is 
that  by  Siris'  streams.' 

II  f.  regnata  .  .  .  rura  Pha- 
lantho :  tradition  said  that  Taren- 
tum was  founded  by  Phalanthus, 
who  led  hither  a  band  of  Lace- 
daemonian youth  after  the  second 
Messenian  war.  —  Phalantho:  dat. 
of  agent.     Intr.  87. 

13  f.  angulus :  nook,  corner,  a 
snug  retreat  for  his  old  age.  Cf. 
Epist.  I,  14,  23  angiihcs  iste  feret 
piper,  of  Horace's  own  farm,  and 
Prop.  5,  9, 65  f.  angulus  hie  mu7idi 
.  .  .  me  .  .  .  accipit.  —  ridet :  has 
a  charm  for.  For  the  quantity, 
see  Intr.  35.  —  Hymetto:  equiva- 
lent to  melli  Hymettio.  The 
honey  of  Mt.  Hymettus  was 
famous  for  its  white  color  and  its 
sweetness.  With  this  use  of  the 
name  of  the  place  for  the  local 
product,  cf.  Venafro  v.  16,  Aulon  v. 
18,  and  2,  14,  28  mero  .  .  .  pontifi- 
eiem  potior e  cenis. 


77 


2,  6,  15]  HORATI 

15  mella  decedunt  viridique  certat 

baca  Venafro ; 

ver  ubi  longum  tepidasque  praebet 
luppiter  brumas  et  amicus  Anion 
fertili  Baccho  minimum  Falernis 
20  invidet  uvis. 

lUe  te  mecum  locus  et  beatae 
postulant  arces,  ibi  tu  calentem 
debita  sparges  lacrima  favillam 
vatis  amici. 


15  f.  decedimt :  yield  to.  —  baca 
i.e.  the  olive.  —  Venafro  :  Vena- 
frum,  in  Campania  near  Minturnae, 
was  famed  for  its  olives. 

17  ff.  Ausonius  four  centuries 
later  praises  his  native  Burdigala 
in  the  same  terms  ord.  urb.  nobil. 
20,  9  f.  ubi  .  .  .  ver  longum  bru- 
niaeque  novo  cum  sole  tepentes.  — 
Aulon :  it  is  disputed  v^'hether  this 
was  a  mountain  or  a  valley  near 
Tarentum,  but  in  all  probability 
it  was  a  mountain  side  suited  for 
sheep  grazing  and  the  production 
of  grapes.  Cf.  Martial's  descrip- 
tion 13,  125  nobilis  et  lanis  et  felix 
vitibus  Aidon  \  det  pretiosa  tibi 
vellera,  vina  mihi. 

19.  Baccho:  dative  with  amicus. 
—  Falernis:  cf.  n.  to  i,  27.  9. 

21  ff.  te  mecum  .  .  .  postulant : 
invite,  returning  to  the  sentiment 
of  the  first  strophe.  —  beatae  : 
because  of  their  mild  climate 
and  productiveness.  —  ibi  tu  .  .  . 
sparges :    the   future   is   half  pro- 


phetic and  half  appealing.  Horace 
will  die  first,  he  cannot  bear  to 
lose  his  friend.  Cf.  the  appeal 
AntJi.  Pal.  2,  p.  855  J.  fji.ifjiv€0  ktjv 
^WOL';  ifjiWev  /cat  TroXAaKi  Tv/xfiw 
airucrov  airo  /3  Xefjxxpoiv  BaKpy" 
aTTOLxofievrj.  'I  pray  thee  remem- 
ber me  even  among  the  living, 
and  let  fall  ofttimes  from  thine 
eyelids  tears  on  my  grave  as  thou 
turnest  away.' 

—  calentem  .  .  .  favillam:  when 
the  ashes  of  the  dead  were  gath- 
ered from  the  pyre  and  placed 
in  the  funeral  urn,  wine  and  per- 
fume were  regularly  sprinkled  over 
them,  but  Horace  asks  Septimius 
for  the  tribute  of  the  tear  due  their 
friendship.  —  vatis  amici :  effec- 
tively placed  at  the  end,  the  last 
word  emphasizing  the  relation- 
ship between  them.  Cf..  however, 
4, 6, 44  vatis  Horati,  where  Horace 
reserves  the  mention  of  his  name 
to  the  end  for  other  reasons.  See 
n.  on  the  passage. 


178 


CARMINA         ^  [2,  7, 8 


A  welcome  home  to  Pompeius,  Horace's  old  companion  in  arms. 

'  Who  has  restored  thee  to  thy  home.  Pompeius  mine,  with  whom  I 
once  endured  the  dangers  of  the  field  and  shared  the  joys  of  revelry 
(1-8)?  The  hurry  of  Philippics  rout  we  knew  together.  Yes,  I  ran 
away  and  saved  myself —  thanks  be  to  Mercury.  But  thee  war's  tide 
swept  off  upon  the  sea  of  further  trouble  (9-16).  Come  then,  make 
sacrifice  and  drain  full  cups  of  wine  saved  up  against  thy  coming. 
Away  with  all  restraint,  for  thou  art  home  again  (17-28)!' 

We  know  nothing  more  of  Pompeius  than  the  ode  tells  us.  Appar- 
ently Horace  had  not  seen  his  friend  from  the  year  of  Philippi  (42  B.C.) 
to  the  time  at  which  the  ode  was  written  ;  this  was  most  probably  29 
B.C.,  when  Augustus'  mild  policy  allowed  those  who  had  taken  arms 
against  him  to  return  to  Italy  in  safety.     Metre,  68. 

O  saepe  mecum  tempus  in  ultimum 
deducte  Bruto  militiae  duce, 
quis  te  redonavit  Quiritem 
dis  patriis  Italoque  caelo, 

S  Pompei,  meorum  prime  sodalium, 

cum  quo  morantem  saepe  diem  mero 
fregi  coronatus  nitentis 
malobathro  Syrio  capillos  ? 

I.    saepe:    possibly  somewhat  Quiritem:  i.e.   a  citizen,  with  no 

of  an    exaggeration    for   the   two  loss  of  civic  rights, 

years   preceding  Philippi.  —  tem-  5  ff.    Pompei:   dissyllabic,   Intr. 

pus  in  ultimum :  i.e.  into  extremcst  38.  —  prime:   in    point    of    time, 

peril.     So  Catullus,  64,  151,  and  earliest.  —  morantem    .    .    .    diem 

169,  uses  tempHS  supremum,  tern-  .  .  .  fregi:  cf.  Tennyson  /n  Mem. 

pus  extremum.  79  '  And  break  the  livelong  sum- 

2  f .    deducte  .  .  .  duce :  a  play  mer  day  |  With    banquet   in    the 

on  words  similar  to  that  in  v.  7  distant    woods.'  —  coronatus  :     a 

fregi  and  V.  1 1  fracta.  —  redonavit:  middle    participle.       Intr.    84. — 

found  only  here  and  3,  3,  33.  where  malobathro  Syrio  :    connect   with 

the   sense  is  different.     Stronger  nitentis.       tiialobathrum     is     the 

than     the     common     reddere. —  Latinized    form    of    the     Indian 

179 


2,  7.  9] 


'5 


HORATI 

Tecum  Philippos  et  celerem  fugam 
sensi,  relicta  non  bene  parmula, 
cum  fracta  virtus  et  minaces 
turpe  solum  tetigere  mento. 

Sed  me  per  hostis  Mercurius  celer 
denso  paventem  sustulit  aere ; 
te  rursus  in  bellum  resorbens 
unda  fretis  tulit  aestuosis. 


'tamalapatram,'  the  leaf  of  the 
'tamela'  tree,  identified  with  the 
fragrant  laurel.  Here  of  course 
the  oil  prepared  from  the  leaf. 
The  adjective  Syrius  was  applied 
in  general  to  all  oriental  goods,  for 
which  Antioch  was  the  empo- 
rium. 

9  f.  tecum :  emphatic.  Cf.  me 
13,  tei5. — relicta  .  .  .  parmula: 
no  doubt  Horace  ran  away  with 
the  others  at  Philippi,  but  only 
blind  pedantry  could  take  these 
words  literally.  If  Horace  had 
been  very  earnest  he  would  not 
have  used  the  diminutive  parmula ; 
he  was  '  reconstructed  '  and  recon- 
ciled so  that  he  was  ready  to  joke 
at  his  own  expense  after  the  model 
of  Archilochus  Frg.  6  dcTTrtSi  [tkv 
Saiwv  T6S  dyaXAerat,  r\v  irapa 
doifxviti  I  cvros  dix(afj.r]Tov  KaWnrov 
OVK  ideXwv  I  auros  8'  i$t<fivyov 
davarov  reAos  •  do-7ris  eKecvrj  \  ip- 
piro)  •  e^auTts  KT-qa^opm  ov  KaKLOi. 
'  Some  Saian  glories  in  my  shield 
which  quite  against  my  will  I  left 
beside  a  bush  —  a  good  shield  too 
it  was.     Still  I  escaped  death's  end. 


The  shield  may  go ;  some  other 
day  ril  get  one  just  as  good.' 

II  f.  minaces:  /or  all  their 
threats.  —  turpe  :  the  character  of 
their  action  —  we  might  expect  tiir- 
piter  tetigere  —  is  transferred  to 
the  dust.  Intr.  99.  —  solum  teti- 
gere mento:  in  mock  heroic  imi- 
tation of  the  Homeric  phrase,  //. 
2,  418  Trpijvee?  kv  kovltjo-lv  68ai 
Xa^ouxTO  yaiiav. 

13  f.  Horace  was  saved  too 
like  the  Homeric  heroes.  Cf.  //.  3, 
380  f.  Tov  8'  i$-qpira$'  'A(f)po6iTrj  | 
/acta  fjidX'  ws  t£  deo'S,  ^.KaXvif/e  8' 
dp"  r/epi  TToXXj].  —  Mercurius :  the 
guardian  of  poets.  Cf.  2, 17  '^^viri 
Merairiales  and  n.  —  pav-fltem: 
another  hit  at  himself  as  imbellis. 

15  f.  te :  emphatic  contrast 
with  me  v.  13.  —  rursus  in  bellum  : 
connect  with  both  resorbens  and 
tulit.  The  figure  is  that  of  the 
retreating  billow  that  sweeps  its 
victim  out  to  sea.  Horace  says 
of  his  own  entrance  into  war, 
Epist.  2,  2,  47  civilisque  rudevt 
belli  tulit  aestus  in  anna.  — 
fretis:  2iO\.^ivith  its  boiling  flood. 


180 


CARMINA 


[2,  7.  28 


25 


Ergo  obligatam  redde  lovi  dapem, 
longaque  fessum  militia  latus 
depone  sub  lauru  mea,  nee 
parce  cadis  tibi  destinatis. 

Oblivioso  levia  Massico 
ciboria  exple,  funde  capacibus 
unguenta  de  conchis.     Quis  udor 
deproperare  apio  coronas 

curatve  myrto  ?     Quern  Venus  arbitrum 
dicet  bibendi  ?     Non  ego  sanius 
bacchabor  Edonis ;  recepto 
dulce  mihi  furere  est  amico. 


17.  'Enough  of  these  reflec- 
tions on  the  past.  You  are  safe 
back  once  more,  so  then  (ergo) 
we'll  turn  to  revelry.'  Horace  is 
unwilling  to  awaken  in  his  friend 
bitter  memories  of  events  during 
his  long  absence  from  Italy.  — 
obligatam:  i.e.  the  offering  you 
vowed  for  your  safe  return ;  a 
technical  word  for  obligations  in- 
curred by  \t)ws  to  the  gods. 

18  f.  longa  .  .  .  militia :  44- 
29  B..  ]  See  the  introductory  note 
above.  —  latus  :  self.  —  lauru  mea  : 
the  scene  of  the  welcome  is  Hor- 
ace's own  farm. 

21  f.  oblivioso  :  that  brings  f or- 
getfjdtiess.  Alcaeus'  owov  XaOi- 
KuSia.  —  ciboria :  cups  made  in 
imitation  of  the  pods  of  the  Egyp- 
tian bean.  In  the  use  of  this  for- 
eign word  some  imagine  that  there 
is  a  reference  to  Pompeius'  ser- 
vice   with    Antony   in    Egypt.  — 


exple  :  yi/l  to  the  brim.  —  capaci- 
bus :  '  abundance  shall  prevail.' 

23  f.  quis,  etc.  :  hurried  ques- 
tions that  dramatically  take  us 
into  the  midst  of  the  preparations. 
—  deproperare  :  haiie  prepared 
luiih  all  speed ;  the  compound  with 
de-  is  intensive  as  i,  18,  g  rixa 
.  .  .  debellata,  2,  i,  35  decolor a- 
vere  caedes.  —  apio  :  the  fragrant 
parsley  was  regularly  used  in  chap- 
lets.  Cf.  Verg.  E.  6,  68  floribtis 
atque  apio  crinis  orjiatus  amaro. 

25  f.  Venus  :  i.e.  the  iactus  Vene- 
ris, the  best  throw  at  dice  in  which 
each  of  the  four  tali  fell  on  differ- 
ent sides.  —  arbitrum  ...  bi- 
bendi :  i.e.  to  preside  over  the  drink- 
ing bout.  Cf.  I,  4,  18  7iec  regna 
vini  sortiere  talis  and  the  note. 

27  f.  Edonis  :  Thracians,  noto- 
rious for  their  heavy  drinking  and 
riotous  bouts.  Cf.  i,  27,  if. — 
furere  :  cf.  3,  19,  18  insanire  iuvat. 


2,  8,  I]  HORATI 

8 

To  Barine,  a  heartless  coquette.  '  All  thy  false  oaths  go  unpun- 
ished, else  I  would  believe  thee.  But  with  all  thy  perjuries  thou 
growest  still  more  beautiful,  and  the  gods  of  love  laugh  in  favor 
toward  thee  (i-i6).  The  number  of  thy  suitors  grows  from  day  to 
day  (17-24).' 

Horace  must  not  be  taken  here  too  seriously.  For  the  depth  of  his 
love  poems,  see  Intr.  13.  There  is  no  hint  of  the  date  of  composition. 
Metre,  69. 

Vila  si  iuris  tibi  peierati 

poena,  Barine,  nocuisset  umquam, 

dente  si  nigro  fieres  vel  uno 

turpior  ungui, 
5  crederem  ;  sed  tu  simul  obligasti 

perfidum  votis  caput,  enitescis 
pulchrior  multo,  iuvenumque  prodis 

publica  cura. 

Expedit  matris  cineres  opertos 
ID  fallere  et  toto  taciturna  noctis 

I.    iuris  .  .  .  peierati:  formed  the  punishments  she  has  invoked 

a.fter  the  analogy  oi  ms  mraftdum ;  on  herself  if  she  forswear.  —  eni- 

equivalent  to  peha-ii.  tescis  :  i.e.  thy  beauty  is  not  dimin- 

3  f .    dente   .    .    .   ungui :    both  ished   (cf.  vv.  2-4),  but  becomes 

ablatives  of  degree  with  turpior.  all  the  more  brilliant. 

—  si  fieres  :  generalizing,  if  ever.  7  f .    prodis  :  comest  forth,  with 

—  nigro  .  .  .  uno  :  with  both  nouns.  thy  admirers  about  thee.  —  cura  : 
For  the  arrangement  of  words  see  technically  used  of  the  object  of 
Intr.  21.  The  ancients  believed  one's  love.  Cf.  Prop.  3,  25,  i 
that  perjury  was  punished  by  iinica  nata  meo  ptdc/terrima  cura 
bodily  blemish;  and  the  Greeks  dolori,  z.ndY erg.  E.  10,22 tua cura 
had  the  same  superstition  which  is  Lycoris.  Pindar  P.  10,  92  says 
current  with  us,  that  white  spots  of  Hippocleas  veaio-iV  re  irapdi- 
on  the  nails  are  caused  by  lying.  voktl  fjieX-q/Jui. 

5   f.    simul:   cf.  n.  to  1,4,17.  9-   expedit:    sc.    te.      'So   far 

—  obligasti :  for  this  technical  from  perjury  harming  you,  you  ac- 
word,  see  n.  to  2,  7,  17.  —  votis:  tually  profit  by  it.'  —  matris  fal- 
dative,  equivalent  to  devotionibus,  lere,  etc. :  to  swear  falsely  by,  etc. 


CARMINA 


[2,  8,  20 


signa  cum  caelo  gelidaque  divos 
morte  carentis. 

Ridet  hoc,  inquam,  Venus  ipsa,  rident 
simplices  Nymphae  ferus  et  Cupido, 
semper  ardentis  acuens  sagittas 
cote  cruenta. 

Adde  quod  pubes  tibi  crescit  omnis, 
servitus  crescit  nova,  nee  priores 
impiae  tectum  dominae  relinquunt, 
saepe  minati. 


So  Propertius  swears  3,  20,  15 
ossa  tibi  iuro  per  viatris  et  ossa 
parentis  \  {si  fallo^  cinis  hen  sit 
mihi  Jiterque  gravis !)  \  me  tibi  ad 
extremas  /iiansiirum,  vita,  tene- 
bras.  —  opertos  :  i.e.  sepultos. 
She  prays  her  mother's  shade  may 
haunt  her,  if  she  be  not  true. 

10  f .  taciturna  .  .  .  signa  :  '  the 
silent  stars '  that  look  down  on  the 
passionate  loves  of  men.  Cf. 
Epod.  15,  I  f.  and  n.  —  gelida 
divos,  etc. :  the  advantage  by  which 
gods  excel  mankind. 

13.  ridet  .  .  .  rident:  Intr.  28c. 
This  gives  the  reason  for  Barine's 
escape.  The  idea  that  the  gods 
laugh  at  lovers'  perjuries  is  old  as 
Plato,  Symp.  183  B.  Cf.  Pseudo- 
Tibul.  3,  6,  49  periuria  ridet 
amantum  \  luppiter  et  ventos  in- 
rita  ferre  iubet.  Echoed  by 
Shakespere,  Romeo  and  Juliet  2, 
2  '  At  lovers'  perjuries  |  They  say 
Jove  laughs.' 

14.  simplices:  easy going,e.vri$ei<;. 
Cf.  Verg.  £.3, 9.  sedfaciles  Nytnphae 


riser e.  — ferus . . .  Cupido  :  since  he 
pitilessly  wounds  and  fires  men's 
hearts.  —  acuens  sagittas  :  Cupid  is 
represented  on  ancient  gems  as 
sharpening  his  arrows  on  a  grind- 
stone.—  cruenta:  transferred  from 
the  arrows  to  the  whetstone.  Intr. 
99. 

17 f.  adde  quod,  etc.:  in  place 
of  the  common  prose  accedit  quod. 
Translate, — to  say  nothing  of  the 
fact  that.  It  introduces  with  em- 
phasis a  new  ground  for  the  poet's 
distrust,  —  the  number  of  her  vic- 
tims grows  so  that  she  has  no  need 
to  be  faithful.  —  pubes  .  .  .  omnis: 
repeated  in  the  predicate  servitus 
nova,  to  be  a  new  band  of  devoted 
slaves,  thereby  expressing  the  com- 
pleteness of  Barine's  conquest. — 
crescit :  /.$•  grooving  up.  —  nee  pri- 
ores, etc. :  i.e.  while  Barine  entraps 
the  rising  generation,she  still  keeps 
her  hold  on  the  former. 

19 f.  impiae:  for  her  perjuries. 
—  saepe  minati :  her  lovers  cannot 
carry  out  their  threats  to  leave  her. 


183 


2,  8,  21]  IIORATI 

Te  suis  matres  metuunt  iuvencis, 
te  senes  parci  miseraeque  nuper 
virgines  nuptae,  tua  ne  retardet 
aura  maritos. 

So  Horace  once  made  determined  sons.     Cf.  2,  5,  6. — senes  parci: 

vows,  but  still  returned  to  his  heart-  who  know  she  will  squeeze  their 

less  Inachia,  £]^^;^/.  II,  19-22.     Cf.  money    bags    if    once    she    gets 

Tibul.  2,  6,  13  f.  in7-avi  qtiotiens  the  chance.  —  miserae  :    proleptic, 

reditjiruni  ad  limina  numquaml  \  'made  wretched  by  their  fear.'  — 

cujn  bene  iiiravi,  pes  tavien  ipse  virgines :    like  puellae,  not  infre- 

redit.  quently    used    of    newly  married 

2iff.  te. .  .te:  Intr.  28  c.    Three  women.     Cf.3,  14,  11.  —  tua  aura  : 

classes  fear  Barine  :    mothers  for  the  breath  of  thy  charm.     Cf.  i,  5, 

their  sons,  miserly  old  men  for  their  1 1  popiilaris  aura,  and  Propert.  3, 

money,  and  brides  for  their  new  2^,1^  si  tnodo  clamantis  revocave- 

husbands.  —  iuvencis :   their  dear  rit  aura  puellae. 


Horace  exhorts  his  friend  Valgius  to  give  up  mourning  for  his  favor- 
ite Mystes. 

'  Winter  rains  and  winds  are  not  eternal,  Valgius.  It  is  not  always 
the  gloomy  season.  Yet  you  weep  without  ceasing  (1-12).  Not  so  did 
Nestor  mourn  for  his  Antilochus,  nor  Troilus'  relatives  for  his  loss.  Give 
up  your  weak  plaints,  and  rather  sing  the  triumphs  of  Augustus  Caesar 

(13-24)-' 

The  reproof  at  the  end  runs  into  a  celebration  of  the  Emperor's  deeds, 
and  shows  the  court  poet.  The  name  Augustus  (v.  19)  proves  that  the 
date  of  composition  is  later  than  27  B.C.,  but  it  cannot  be  more  exactly 
fixed.     See,  however,  notes  to  vv.  20  ff. 

C.  Valgius  Rufus,  consul  suffectus  in  12  B.C.,  was  an  elegiac  poet 
belonging  to  Maecenas'  circle.  According  to  the  Scholiast,  Vergil  al- 
ludes to  his  elegiac  verses  in  E.  7,  22.  An  epic  was  apparently  expected 
from  him.  Pseudo-Tibul.  4,  i,  I79f.  est  iibi,  qui possit  niagnis  se  accin- 
gere  rebus,  \  Valgius:  aeterno  propior  non  alter  Hotnero.  We  hear 
also  of  his  rhetorical  and  medical  works,  but  none  of  his  writings  are 
preserved  to  us.  His  friendship  with  Horace  is  further  attested  by  S. 
I,  ID,  81  f.  Plotius  et  Varius,  Maecenas  Vergiliusque,  \  Valgius  et 
probet  haec  Octavius.     Metre,  68. 

184 


CARMINA 


[2,  9,  lO 


Non  semper  imbres  nubibus  hispidos 
manant  in  agros  aut  mare  Caspium 
vexant  inaequales  procellae 
usque,  nee  Armeniis  in  oris, 

amice  Valgi,  stat  glacies  iners 
mensis  per  omnis  aut  Aquilonibus 
querceta  Gargani  laborant 
et  foliis  viduantur  orni : 

tu  semper  urges  flebilibus  modis 
Mysten  ademptum,  nee  tibi  Vespero 


I  ff.  For  the  careful  arrangement 
of  words,  see  Intr.  28  c.  —  non 
semper,  etc. :  cf.  2,  1 1,  9,  and  Her- 
rick,  "Clouds  will  not  ever  poure 
down  rain ;  |  A  sullen  day  will 
cleere  again.  |  First,  peales  of 
thunder  we  must  heare,  |  Then  lutes 
and  harpes  shall  stroke  the  eare.'  — 
hispidos  :  unkempt  and  dank ;  i.e. 
covered  with  stubble  (cf.  4,  10,  5) 
and  drenched  by  the  winter's  rains. 
The  comparison  is  between  such 
fields  and  Valgius'  countenance. 

2.  mare  Caspium:  the  stormy 
character  of  this  sea  is  mentioned 
by  Mela  3,  5  mare  Caspuini  omne 
atrox,  saeviwi.  sine  por tubus,  pro- 
cellis  undique  expositum.  It  is 
probable,  however,  that  Horace's 
choice  of  this  concrete  example  and 
of  Armeniis  in  oris  (cf  n.  to  i,  i, 
14)  was  determined  by  the  coming 
reference  to  Augustus'  successful 
diplomacy  in  the  East  (vv.  20-24). 

3f.  inaequales:  gusty,  squally. 
— usque:  temporal,  as  i,  17,  4. — 


Armeniis  in  oris :  i.e.  on  Mount 
Taurus. 

5.  stat:  expressive  of  the  sta- 
bility of  the  glacier.  —  glacies  iners : 
cf.  4,  7,  12  bruma  iners. 

7  f.  Gargani :  with  this  Horace 
returns  to  Italy  for  his  example. 
Garganus  is  a  thickly  wooded 
mountain  in  Apulia,  especially  ex- 
posed to  storms.  Cf.  Epist.  2, 
I,  202  Garganum  mugire  putes 
nenius  aut  mare  Tuscum.  —  quer- 
ceta .  .  .  laborant:  cf.  i,  i^.^silvae 
labor  antes.  —  viduantur :  are  wid- 
owed of,  the  climax  of  his  figures 
of  desolation.  The  temporal  idea, 
varied  by  semper  usque,  mensis  per 
omnis,  continues  to  the  end  of  the 
second  strophe. 

9  f .  tu  semper :  contrasted  with 
Nature.  —  urges:  pursuest,  dwell- 
est  on;  used  by  Propertius  (5,  11, 
i)  as  if  the  mourning  distressed 
the  dead,  desine,  Paulle,  meuvi  la- 
crimis  urgere  sepulcru?n. 

10  ff.  Vespero  surgente,  etc. :  so 


18s 


2,  9,   II] 


HORATI 


15 


surgente  decedunt  amores 
nee  rapidum  fugiente  solem. 

At  non  ter  aevo  functus  amabilem 
ploravit  omnis  Antilochum  senex 
annos,  nee  impubem  parentes 
Troilon  aut  Phrygiae  sorores 

flevere  semper  :  desine  mollium 
tandem  querellarum,  et  potius  nova 


Orpheus  mourned  for  his  lost  Eu- 
ridice,  Verg.  G.  4,  466  te  vetiictite 
die,  te  decedente  canebat.  Cf.  HeJ- 
vius  Cinna's  lines,  te  tnatutinits 
flentein  conspexit  Ecus  \  et  flenteui 
paulo  vidit  post  Hesperus  idem ; 
and  Tennyson's  Mariana,  'Her 
tears  fell  with  the  dews  of  even  ;  | 
Her  tears  fell  ere  the  dews  were 
dried/ — amores :  i.e.  his  elegies. — 
rapidum:  placed  in  contrast  with 
fugiente.  It  is  a  stock  epithet  of 
the  sun.  Cf.  Mimn.  10,  5  wkcos 
'HeXtoio  aKTivtv,  and  Verg.  G.  i, 
92  rapidive  potentia  solis. 

13 ff.  ter  aevo  functus:  Nestor, 
described  //.  i,  250  ff.  rw  8'  ^87; 
hvo  fxkv  yeveai  /nepoTrwv  dvOpwTrwv  \ 
e(f)6ia0',  OL  ol  TrpoaOev  afia  Tpdffiev 
^8'  iyivovTO  \  iv  HvX.w  rjyaOirj,  fxtra. 
8e  rpiTaTOKTiv  dvaaaev-  Cf.  Cic. 
C.  3f.  3 1  tertiaiii  enim  aetatein  homi- 
num  videbat.  —  amabilem:  placed 
here  with  adversative  force,  iii  spite 
of  all  his  loveliness.  Cf.  impubem 
(v.  1 5),  a  mere  cJtild.  The  two  adjec- 
tives doubtless  are  chosen  as  apply- 
ing also  to  Mystes,  whom  Valgius 
has  lost.  —  non  ploravit  omnis  an- 


nos :  when,  in  the  Odyssey,  Te- 
lemachus  and  his  companion  visit 
Nestor  at  his  home  in  Pylus,  they 
find  him  cheerful  in  spite  of  the 
loss  of  his  son  Antilochus,  whom 
Memnon  slew.  —  Troilon:  Priam's 
young  son,  whom  Achilles  caught 
and  slew  near  a  spring.  This  was 
a  favorite  scene  with  vase  painters 
of  the  early  fifth  century  (Baum.  p. 
1901  f.).  Troilus' sister  Polyxena 
is  frequently  represented  as  wit- 
nessing his  death.  His  fate  was  in 
poets  the  type  of  early  death  ;  cf. 
e.g.  Verg.  A.  i,  474fr.,  where  indeed 
Vergil  is  describing  a  wall  painting, 
and  Chaucer,  T.  and  C.  5,  1806 
'  (Troilus)  dispitously  him  slough 
the  fiers  Achille.' 

17.  desine . . .  querellarum :  this 
construction  with  the  genitive  of 
separation  is  in  imitation  of  Greek 
usage  with  AT^yw,  ■Kavopa.i,  etc.  Cf. 
3,  17,  16  operiim  solutis  ;  3,  27,  69 
abstineto  irarum. 

i8f.  novatropaea:  what  successes 
are  meant  is  uncertain.  Some  think 
of  Augustus'  campaigns  against  the 
Cantabri,  27-25  B.C. ;  others  regard 


186 


CARMINA 


[2,  10 


cantemus  August!  tropaea 
Caesaris  et  rigidum  Niphaten 

Medumque  flumen  gentibus  additum 
victis  minores  volvere  vertices, 
intraque  praescriptum  Gelonos 
exiguis  equitare  campis. 


tropaea  as  a  general  term,  defined 
by  what  follows  —  Niphaten,  Me- 
dum  flumen  .  . .  volvere,  Gelonos  .  .  . 
equitare.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  Horace  had  no  definite  victo- 
ries in  mind,  but  wished  to  say, 
'Come,  Valgius,  let  us  turn  to  epic 
song;  our  subject  is  ready  —  Au- 
gustus' new  successes  (in  general) 
and  (in  particular)  the  Niphates,' 
etc. 

20  ff.  These  were  victories  of 
diplomacy  rather  than  of  arms.  — 
rigidum :  ice-bound.  —  Niphaten : 
according  to  Strabo  and  Dio  Cas- 
sius,  a  mountain  of  Armenia.  But 
Lucan  3, 245  and  Sil.  Ital.  1 3, 765  and 
luv.  6,409  consider  it  a  river.  Verg. 
G.  3,  30  celebrates  the  same  exten- 
sion of  the  empire,  addatn  urbes 
Asiae  domitas  pulsuinqne  Nipha- 
ten.— Medum  flimien:  the  Euphra- 
tes. The  construction  changes 
from  the  simple  accusative  to  the 
accusative  and  infinitive,  '  sing  the 


Niphates,  sing  that,'  etc.  Proper- 
tius  has  a  similar  construction,  2, 

1,  igff.  non  ego  Tit  anas  canerem, 
non  Ossan  Olympo  \  inpositam.,  ut 
caeli  Pelion  esset  iter  |  .  .  .  Xerxis 
et  imperio  bin  a  coisse  vada.  —  mi- 
nores :  in  token  of  its  submission. 
Cf.Verg.  A.  8,  726  Euphrates  ibat 
iain  mollior  undis. 

23.  Gelonos  :  a  nomad  Scythian 
people  on  the  river  Don.  The 
poets  of  this  time,  however,  use 
their  name  for  the  Scythians  in 
general.  —  exiguis:  for  they  are 
now  limited  intra  praescriptum.  — 
equitare  :  ride  their  raids.     Cf.  i, 

2,  51.  The  reference  in  the  last 
two  verses  is  probably  to  an  em- 
bassy from  the  Scythians  which 
Augustus  received  at  Tarraco  in 
Spain.  Cf.  M071.  Anc.  5, 5 1  nostrum 
ainicitiam  petierunt  per  legatos 
Bastarnae  Scythaeqjie  et  Sarma- 
taruni  qui  sunt  citra  /lumen  Ta- 
naim  et  uUra  reges. 


10 

A  series  of  sententiae  on  the  dangers  of  high  and  low  estate  and  the 
advantages  of  the  golden  mean,  which  should  be  compared  with  2,  2  and 
3.     The  ode  is  an  expansion  of  the  Greek  /xr^Scvayav:  more  weight, 

187 


2,  lo,  i]  HORATI 

however,  is  laid  on  the  disadvantages  of  great   position  than  on  the 
wretchedness  of  extreme  poverty. 

Licinius  Murena,  to  whom  the  ode  is  addressed,  was  apparently  the 
son  of  the  Murena  whom  Cicero  defended ;  he  was  adopted  by  M.  Te- 
rentius  Varro,  and  so  became  the  brother-in-law  of  Proculeius  (2,  2)  and 
of  Terentia,  Maecenas'  wife.  In  23  B.C.  he  was  consul  with  Augustus ; 
during  this  year  he  entered  into  a  conspiracy  with  Fannius  Caepio 
against  the  emperor,  but  was  detected  and  put  to  death.  This  is  clear 
evidence  that  Horace's  poem  was  published  before  that  date.  It  is 
said  that  he  was  inordinately  ambitious,  so  that  the  advice  here  given 
acquires  a  special  significance  in  view  of  his  later  fate.     Metre,  69. 

Rectius  vives,  Licini,  neque  altum 
semper  urgendo  neque,  dum  procellas 
cautus  horrescis,  nimium  premendo 
litus  iniquum. 

5  Auream  quisquis  mediocritatem 

diligit,  tutus  caret  obsoleti 
sordibus  tecti,  caret  invidenda 
sobrius  aula. 

Saepius  ventis  agitatur  ingens 
10  pinus  et  celsae  graviore  casu 

I  ff.  rectius :  bearing  the  empha-  nimiiim  et  parum. — tutus   caret, 

sis  ;  more  fitly.  —  neque  altum,  etc. :  etc. :  is  safe  and  free fro?/i  a  squalid 

the  common  allegory  of  the  voyage  ttimble-down  house. 

of  life  is  a  favorite  with  Horace.  yf.  caret ...  caret :  Intr.  28  c. — 

Cf.  1,5,  13-  34,  3  ;  3,  2,  28.  29,  62  ;  invidenda  .  .  .  aula :  cf.  3,  i,  45  f- 

Epist.  2,2, 202.  — urgendo:  by  press-  invidendis  postihus.  —  sobrius  :   /;/ 

ing  out  to.,  in  contrast  to  hugging  his  temperance,  XheGrtek  (Tui<i>pit)v. 

the  shore  (premendo). — iniquum:  9-12.  Three  typical  illustrations 

unkind,  because  of  its  dangerous  drawn  from  nature  of  the  danger  to 

reefs.  too  great  prominence.     Cf.  Herod. 

Sf.  auream  mediocritatem :  the  7,  10,5.     Seneca  employs  similar 

golden  mean.     A  translation  of  the  figures  in  a  number  of  passages  in 

Greek  ficcrorr)';,  to  /xiTpiov,  which  his  tragedies,  e.g.  Oed.  8-1 1  ut  alia 

Cicero  de  off.  i,  89  defines  jnedio-  ventos  semper  excipiunt  iuga  \  ru- 

critatem  illaju  .  .   .  quae  est  inter  pemque  saxis   vasta    dirimentem 


CARMINA 


[2,   lO,  24 


^5 


decidunt  turres  feriuntque  summos 
fulgura  montis. 

Sperat  inlestis,  metuit  secundis 
alteram  sortem  bene  praeparatum 
pectus.     Informis  hiemes  reducit 
luppiter,  idem 

submovet ;  non,  si  male  nunc,  et  olim 
sic  erit ;  quondam  cithara  tacentem 
suscitat  musam  neque  semper  arcum 
tendit  Apollo. 

Rebus  angustis  animosus  atque 
fortis  appare  ;  sapienter  idem 
contrahes  vento  nimium  secundo 
turgida  vela. 


freta  \  quamvis  qtiieti  verberat 
fliidus  maris.  \  itnperia  sic  excelsa 
Fortunae  obiacent.  Notice  that  the 
emphasis  is  on  saepius,  ingens,  cel- 
sae  graviore,  summos.     Intr.  25. 

13!  'A  well-prepared  breast  can 
withstand  all  changes  of  fortune.' 

—  sperat . . .  metuit :  emphatic,  the 
subject  being  deferred  to  the  end. 

—  infestis,  secundis  :  abstract  neu- 
ters plural,  dat.  with  the  verbs. — 
alteram  sortem :  the  opposite  lot. 

15.  informis:  shapeless.,  and  so 
ugly.  Cf.  Verg.  G.  3, 354  f.  sed  iacet 
agger ibus  niveis  informis  et  alto  \ 
terra  gelu.  —  reducit :  brings  back 
(in  their  due  season).  For  this 
force  of  re-,  cf.  3,  8,  9  anno  red- 
eiinte.  —  idem :  and  yet  he.  Cf.  v. 
22;  2,  19,  27. 


17 f.  si  male:  sc.  est.  —  olim: 
some  day,  in  contrast  to  nunc. — 
quondam:  sometimes,  in  a  general 
sense.  —  cithara :  instrumental  ab- 
lative. 

19  f .  Apollo  does  not  always 
send  war  and  pestilence  (arcum 
tendit),  but  at  times  brings  men 
song.  The  common  application 
is  to  point  the  desirability  of  com- 
bining play  with  work.  Repro- 
duced in  the  Laus  Pis.  142  f.  nee 
setnper  Gnosius  arctim  \  destinat, 
exempt 0  sed  laxat  cornna  nervo.  — 
rebus  angustis :  when  times  are 
hard.  —  sapienter  idem,  etc.:  yet 
ymt  will  do  wisely  to  take  in,  etc. 
Horace  closes,  as  he  began,  with 
a  figure  drawn  from  the  sea. — ni- 
mium :   connect  with  secundo. 


2,  II,  I] 


HORATI 


II 

Horace  will  teach  his  friend  Hirpinus  his  own  philosophy.  'Little 
is  enough  for  life,  enjoy  the  present  fleeting  moment  with  no  thought 
of  distant  dangers,  no  greed  for  useless  wealth.  Youth  quickly  flies, 
and  old  age  comes.  All  is  change.  How  useless  then  to  vex  our  souls 
with  endless  aims  and  efforts.' 

Quinctius  Hirpinus,  apparently  the  friend  to  whom  Epist.  i,  i6  is 
addressed,  is  not  further  known.  He  seems  to  have  been  ambitious  for 
wealth,  but  not  averse  to  pleasures.  The  date  of  composition  is  proba- 
bly fixed  as  26-25  B.C.  by  the  mention  of  the  bellicosus  Cantaber  v.  i. 
Metre,  68. 

Quid  bellicosus  Cantaber  et  Scythes, 

Hirpine  Quincti,  cogitet  Hadria 

divisus  obiecto,  remittas 

quaerere  nee  trepides  in  usum 

5  poscentis  aevi  pauca.     Fugit  retro 

levis  iuventas  et  decor,  arida 


I  ff.  Cantaber:  cf.  n.  to  2,  6, 
2. — Hirpine  Quincti:  for  the  trans- 
position of  nomen  and  cogno- 
men, see  n.  to  2,  2,  3.  —  Hadria 
divisus  obiecto :  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  not  simply  the  Adriatic,  but 
long  tracts  of  land  and  sea  sepa- 
rated the  Scythians  from  Italy ; 
but  Quinctius  was  too  anxious 
over  these  distant  dangers,  and 
Horace  playfully  exaggerates  — 
'  set  off  from  us  only  by,'  etc. 
The  danger  of  a  barbarian  inva- 
sion from  the  northeast  was  not 
sufficiently  present  to  the  Roman 
mind  at  this  time  to  cause  Horace 
to  speak  seriously  of  the  barrier 
the  Adriatic  would  afford.  In 
later  centuries,  however,  this  sea 
often  protected  Italy.  —  remittas 
quaerere:  cf.    i,   38,   3  mitte  sec- 


tart;  3,  29,  II  omitte  mirari. 
There  is  probably  also  the  acces- 
sory idea  of  relaxing  the  anxious 
strain.  We  may  translate,  ^/w /// 
thy  anxious  questioning.  Cf.  Ter. 
And.  827  remittas  iam  me  onerare 
iniuriis.  —  trepides  in  usum :  and 
do  not  fret  about  the  needs,  etc. 
Cf.  1,9,  14  f.;  3,  29,  32  f. 

5-12.  The  thought  is  a  com- 
monplace. Cf.  Theog.  985  f.  aii/'a 
yap  wcTTC  vorf/ML  iraptpxtrai  dyXaos 

7)1^7)  •      I     OllS      tTTTTCDV     opfjirj     yLVCTal 

wKVTepr].  '  For  quick  as  thought 
bright  youth  passes  ;  horses'  speed 
is  not  swifter.'  Auson.  Anth.  Lat. 
646  collige  virgo  rosas,  dum  flos 
novus  et  nova  piibes,  \  et  memor  esto 
aevum  sic  proper  are  tuum ;  and, 
*  Gather  ye  rosebuds  while  ye  may, 
I  Old  Time  is  istill  a-flying,  |  And 


190 


CARMINA 


[2,  II,  l6 


IS 


pellente  lascivos  amores 
canitie  facilemque  somnum. 

Non  semper  idem  floribus  est  honor 
vernis,  neque  uno  lima  rubens  nitet 
voltu.     Quid  aeternis  minorem 
consiliis  animum  f  atigas  ? 

Cur  non  sub  alta  vel  platano  vel  hac 
pinu  iacentes  sic  temere  et  rosa 
canos  odorati  capillos, 

dum  licet,  Assyriaque  nardo 


this  same  flower,  that  smiles  to- 
day, I  To-morrow  will  be  dying/ 

6  f .  levis  :  smooth  cheeked,  i /fi- 
ber bis.  Cf.  4,  6,'  28  levis  Agyieit. 
—  arida  .  .  .  canitie  :  sapless,  with- 
ered, and  gray  old  age  ;  when  '  the 
juice  of  life  is  gone/ 

8.  facilem :  gentle.  The  same 
epithet  3,  21,  4;  cf.  2,  16,  15  levis 
sontnos. 

9  f.  honor :  beauty.  —  vernis  : 
corresponding  to  man's  youth.  — 
rubens  nitet :  shines  blushitig.  Cf. 
Prop.  I,  10,  8  quavtvis  .  .  .  me- 
diis  caelo  Luna  ruber  et  equis ; 
Sen.  Phaedr.  747  exerit  vultus 
rubicunda  Phoebe. 

II  f.  aeternis  .  .  .  consiliis  : 
endless  schetnings.  The  ablative 
is  dependent  on  both  minorem 
and  fatigas.  Intr.  100.  With 
the  thought,  cf.  4,  7,  7  f.  iminor- 
talia  ne  speres,  mo7iet  annus  et 
almuin  \  quae  rapit  her  a  diem. 

13  ff-  '  Far  better  give  thyself 
up  to  pleasures  here  beneath  the 
shade.'     The  following  questions 


give  the  verses  a  vivid  dramatic 
turn. — platano  .  .  .  pinu:  the  two 
most  beautiful  Italian  shade  trees  ; 
the  plane  (sycamore)  came  from 
the  Orient  and  was  cultivated  in 
parks  and  gardens.  —  hac:  'this 
one  close  by.' — sic  temere  :  7«^-/ 
as  we  are ;  oiJtws  elic^,  Plat.  Gorg. 
506  D.  '  No  long  elaborate  prepa- 
ration is  necessary  to  gain  life's 
pleasures  ;  a  garland,  perfume,  and 
the  zither-playing  Lyde  are  enough.' 
15  f .  canos  :  Horace  describes 
himself  Epist.  i,  20,  24  as  prae- 
canus,  prematurely  gray  ;  he  was 
at  this  time  about  forty.  —  odorati : 
a  middle  participle  ;  so  uncti  v.  17 
below.  Intr.  84.  —  dum  licet: 
'our  time  is  short.'  Cf.  2.  3,  15. 
Ten  years  before  Horace  could 
say  Epod.  13,  3  ff.  rapiamus, 
amici,  |  occasiotiem  de  die,  dumque 
virent  genua  \  et  decet.  Now  he 
has  passed  the  line  of  middle  age 
and  knows  that  soon  dry  old  age 
will  steal  from  him  his  capacity  for 
enjoyment.  — Assyria  .  .  .  nardo  : 


191 


2,  II,  i;] 


HORATI 


potamus  uncti  ?     Dissipat  Euhius 
curas  edacis.     Quis  puer  ocius 
restinguet  ardentis  Falerni 
pocula  praetereunte  lympha? 

Quis  devium  scortum  eliciet  domo 
Lyden  ?     Eburna  die  age  cum  lyra 
maturet,  in  comptum  Laeaenae 
more  comam  religata  nodum. 


the  same  as  the  malobathro  Syria 
of  2,  7,  8.  Cf.  Tibull.  3,  6,  63  f. 
Syria  madefadus  ternpora  nardo 
I  debueram  sertis  implicuisse  ca- 
ntas. 

17  f.  dissipat :  cf.  Cypria  Frg. 
10  K.  oivov  TOi,  Meve'Aac,  deoiiroCr}- 
aav  apiarov  |  dvrjTOL^  dv6p(x)TroLcnv 
ttTToo-KeSacrai  /xeXeSwvas-  '  Wine, 
Menelaus,  the  gods  made  the  best 
means  to  scatter  the  cares  of  mor- 
tal men.'  —  Euhius:  formed  from 
the  cry  of  the  Bacchanals,  evol. 
Cf.  I,  18,  9.  —  edacis:  gnawing, 
car  king.  Cf.  i,  18,  4  mor  daces 
.   .  .  sallicitudities . 

18  f.  puer:  cf.  n.  to  Epod.  9, 
33  and  I,  29,  7.  — restinguet :  tem- 
per (the  fierceness  of).  —  ardentis 
Falerni:  cf.  n.  to  i,  27,  10. 


21  ff.  devium  scortum :  the  coy 
wench,  a  zither  player  whose  home, 
for  the  purpose  of  the  ode,  is  sup- 
posed to  be  not  far  away.  Yet 
the  adjective  devium,  which  appar- 
ently means  here  "solitary,'  'apart,' 
as  in  Livy3,  13,  10  devio  quadam 
tugurio  (hut)  vivere,  implies  that 
Lyde  is  one  who  does  not  be- 
stow her  favors  on  all ;  this  im- 
plication is  emphasized  by  eliciet, 
lure  farth.  —  die  age,  etc.  :  go  bid 
her  hasten .  Cf  i ,  3  2 ,  3  age  die  Lati- 
num,  bar  bite,  carmen  ;  and  3,4,  i . 
—  maturet:  the  subj.  is  indepen- 
dent, parallel  to  die.  —  in  comp- 
tum nodum  :  in  a  neat  simple  knot. 
No  elaborate  coiffure  would  be  fit- 
ting for  this  extemporaneous  ca- 
rouse. —  religata  :  cf.  n.  to  1,5.4. 


12 

Maecenas  had  apparently  urged  Horace  to  celebrate  in  verse  Octa- 
vian's  victory  over  Antony  and  his  other  successes  in  ihe  East.  This 
ode  is  the  poet's  reply. 

'Not  deeds  of  war  long  past  (1-4),  not  ancient  mythology  (5-8),  nor 
Caesar's  present  deeds  and  triumphs  (9-12),  but  modest  love,  the  charms 
of  thy  Licymnia,  are  alone  fit  subjects  for  my  lyric  muse  (13-28).' 

192 


CARMINA 


[2,  12,  8 


The  ode  should  be  compared  with  i,  6,  Horace's  answer  to  a  similar 
request  from  Agrippa.     Metre,  72. 

Nolis  longa  ferae  bella  Numantiae 
nee  durum  Hannibalem  nee  Siculum  mare 
Poeno  purpureum  sanguine  mollibus 
aptari  citharae  modis, 

nee  saevos  Lapithas  et  nimium  mero 
Hylaeum  domitosque  Herculea  manu 
Telluris  iuvenes,  unde  periculum 
fulgens  contremuit  domus 


I.  nolis:  emphatic,  you  cer- 
tainly would  not  wish.  —  longa 
bella:  nine  years,  141-133  B.C. — 
ferae :  the  war  was  ended  with 
the  suicide  of  the  inhabitants  and 
the  burning  of  the  city.  Flor.  2, 
18,  15  deplorato  exitu  in  ultimam 
rabieni  furoreinqiie  conversi  pos- 
tremo  mori  hocgenere  destinarunt : 
Rhoecogene  duce  se  sttos  patriain 
ferro  et  veneno  subiectoque  undique 
igne  peremeriint. 

2  ff.  durum:  since  the  defeat 
of  Hannibal  proved  a  hard  task 
for  the  Romans.  —  purpureum  san- 
guine :  in  260  B.C.  when  C.  Duil- 
ius  won  his  famous  naval  victory 
at  Mylae,  and  again  in  242  B.C.  at 
the  battle  of  the  Aegatian  Islands. 
—  mollibus:  in  sharp  contrast  to 
ferae,  durum,  and  the  savage  pic- 
ture called  up  by  mare  .  .  .  pur- 
pureum sangtlne.  Such  fierce 
themes  are  not  suited  to  the  gentle 
strains  of  the  lyre. 

5  ff.  The  stock  mythological 
themes  of  epic  song.  —  saevos  Lapi- 

HOR.  CAR. —  i^  I 


thas,  etc. :  i.e.  the  quarrel  between 
the  Centaurs  and  the  Lapithae  at 
the  marriage  of  Peirithous  and 
Hippodamia.  Cf.  n.  to  i,  18,  8. 
—  nimium  mero :  jnade  insolent 
with  wine.  Cf.  Tac.  Hist,  i,  35 
nimii  verbis.  —  Hylaeum :  one  of 
the  Centaurs.  Cf.  Verg.  G.  2, 
457  et  niagno  Hylaeiwi  Lapithis 
crater e  ndnantem.  —  domitos  .  .  . 
iuvenes :  the  giants  who  tried  to 
storm  the  citadels  of  heaven.  Cf. 
3,  4,  42  ff.  —  Herculea  manu  :  Her- 
cules was  summoned  by  the  gods 
to  aid  them,  for  an  oracle  said 
that  only  a  mortal  could  conquer 
the  earth-born  monsters.  —  unde  : 
connect  with  contremuit  :  from 
whom.     Cf.  I,  12,  7;   28,  28. 

8.  fulgens  .  .  .  domus :  because 
of  its  place  in  the  bright  upper 
air.  Cf.  1,3,  29  aetheria  domus ; 
3'  3?  33  hicidas  sedes  and  the 
Homeric  Sw^ra  ixapixaipovra.  — 
contremuit :  transitive,  as  the  sim- 
ple verb,  Verg.  A.  3,  648  sonitum- 
qiie  pedum  vocemque  tremesco. 


93 


2,  12,  9] 


HORATI 


IS 


Saturni  veteris  ;  tuque  pedestribus 
dices  historiis  proelia  Caesaris, 
Maecenas,  melius  ductaque  per  vias 
regum  colla  minacium. 

Me  dulcis  dominae  Musa  Licymniae 
cantus,  me  voluit  dicere  lucidum 
fulgentis  oculos,  et  bene  mutuis 
fidum  pectus  amoribus ; 

quam  nee  ferre  pedem  dedecuit  choris 
nee  certare  ioco  nee  dare  bracchia 


9  f .  tuque  :  emphatically  intro- 
ducing the  specific  reason  why 
Horace  cannot  celebrate  Caesars 
deeds,  —  '  And  then  you  will  tell,' 
etc.  —  pedestribus  .  .  .  historiis : 
prose,  in  contrast  to  poetry.  Hor- 
ace was  the  first  to  adopt  this  term, 
in  imitation  of  the  Greek  ttc^os 
Adyos.  There  is  no  evidence  that 
Maecenas  ever  undertook  such  a 
work  as  Horace  here  suggests. 

1 1  f .  ducta  :  i.e.  in  the  trium- 
phal procession.  — colla:  'with 
chains  about  their  necks.'  Cf. 
Epod.  7,  7  f.  intachis  aut  Britan- 
nus  ut  descenderet  \  sacra  catena- 
tits  via,  and  Prop.  2,  i,  33  f.  with 
reference  likewise  to  Augustus' 
triumphs  {caiieretii)  regu?»  auratis 
circ7imdata  colla  catenis  \  Actiaque 
in  sacra  cur r ere  rostra  via.  — mi- 
nacium :  but  just  now  threatening. 

13.  me  ...  me :  '  My  task  is 
this.'  Intr.  30.  —  dominae:  this 
became  under  the  empire  the 
regular  title  of  address  to  a  mar- 


ried woman,  like  our  '  Mrs.,' 
'  Madam,'  the  Italian  '  donna.' 
Translate,  my  lady.  —  Licymniae  : 
ancient  critics  agreed  that  under 
this  name  Terentia,  Maecenas' 
wife,  is  meant.  The  fact  that  the 
two  names  are  metrically  identical 
makes  this  very  probable.  So 
Catullus  calls  Clodia,  Lesbia ;  Ti- 
bullus  employs  Delia  for  Plania, 
etc.  That  Licymnia  in  any  case 
was  a  free-born  Roman  lady  is 
proved  by  v.  19  f.  See  note.  — 
cantus :  modified  by  dulcis.  — 
bene  :  connect  with  fidum.  Cf.  Cic 
Tusc.  2,  44  bene  Magnus,  and  the 
French  biett.  The  opposite  is 
male;  so  i,  17,  25  male  dispar; 
Verg.  A.  2,  23  malefida. 

17  f.  ferre  pedem :  to  move  het 
feet  in,  etc.  Cf.  Verg.  G.  i,  n 
ferte  simtd  Faunique  pedetn. 
Dancing,  except  as  part  of  a 
religious  ceremony,  was  thought 
unbecoming  a  Roman  woman, 
although  the  severity  of  custom  was 


194 


CARMINA 


[2,   12,  28 


25 


ludentem  nitidis  virginibus  sacro 
Dianae  Celebris  die. 

Num  tu  quae  tenuit  dives  Achaemenes 
aut  pinguis  Phrygiae  Mygdonias  opes 
permutare  velis  crine  Licymniae, 
plenas  aut  Arabum  domos, 

cum  flagrantia  detorquet  ad  oscula 
cervicem,  aut  facili  saevitia  negat 
quae  poscente  magis  gaudeat  eripi, 
interdum  rapere  occupet  ? 


relaxed  enough  at  this  time  to  allow 
dancing  within  one's  own  house,  and 
the  reference  here  may  be  to  such 
private  amusement.  Cf.  3,  6,  21  and 
n.  —  nee  .  .  .  dedecuit :  cf.  Ovid. 
Am.  I,  7,  12  fiec  do)ninani  inotae 
dedecuere  comae.  —  certare  ioco  :  i.e. 
in  light  conversation.  —  dare  brac- 
chia :  rhythmical  movements  of  the 
arms  formed  an  important  part  of 
ancient  dances,  as  they  still  do, 
e.g.  in  the  Italian  tarantella. 

19  f.  nitidis :  i.e.  in  holiday 
dress.  —  Dianae  .  .  .  die  :  the 
chorus  which  sang  and  danced  in 
honor  of  a  divinity  was  composed 
of  free-born  youths  and  maidens, 
so  that  it  is  evident  that  Licymnia 
was  in  any  case  htgeiiiia.  —  Cele- 
bris :  thronged  with  celebrants. 

21  ff.  '  Not  all  the  riches  of  the 
East  could  purchase  from  you  one 
lock  of  her  hair.'  —  Achaemenes: 
the  founder  of  the  royal  house  of 
Persia.  Cf.  3,  i,  44.  —  Mygdonias  : 
Mygdon    was    an    early   king    of 


Phrygia.  The  mention  of  Phrygia 
calls  to  mind  Midas,  whose  touch 
turned  all  things  to  gold.  — crine  : 
a  lock  of  hair.  For  the  construc- 
tion, see  Intr.  98. — plenas  .  .  . 
Arabum  domos :  cf.  3,  24,  i  f.  in- 
tacti  .  .   .  thesauri  Arabum. 

25  ff.  detorquet :  for  the  caesura, 
see  Intr.  53.  —  facili:  because 
her  sternness  (saevitia)  is  easily 
overcome.  —  poscente:  dependent 
on  magis.  'Don't  ask  her  for 
kisses,  she  would  take  more  satis- 
faction in  having  them  stolen  from 
her  than  the  one  {i.e.  you,  Mae- 
cenas) who  begs  them  would 
delight  to  get  them  ;  indeed  she 
would  sometimes  begin  by  steal- 
ing them  from  you.'  Cf.  Tibul. 
I,  4,  53  ff.  rapias  turn  car  a  licebit  \ 
oscula :  pugiiabit,  sed  tavien  apta 
dabit;  \  rapt  a  dabit  primo,  mox 
offer et  ipse  roganti,  \  post  etiam 
collo  se  implicuisse  volet.  —  rapere 
occupet :  equivalent  to  the  Greek 
(f)$dvoLavapTra.^ov(Ta.     Cf.  1,14,  2. 


'95 


2,   13.   I] 


HORATI 


/ 


13 


Horace  was  nearly  killed  one  day  on  his  farm  by  a  falling  tree.  The 
following  ode  was  suggested  by  this  event,  which  seems  to  have  made 
a  deep  impression  on  him.  (Cf.  2,  17,  27;  3,  4,  27.)  Still  4iere  his 
very  extravagance  of  earnestness  gives  the  treatment  a  half  jesting  tone. 
After  declaring  that  the  man  who  planted  the  fatal  tree  could  be  guilty 
of  any  crime,  Horace  wanders  into  reflection  on  his  favorite  theme  — 
the  uncertainty  of  human  life  and  the  proximity  of  death.  On  the  first 
anniversary  of  the  event,  he  wrote  3,  8,  which  fixes  the  date  of  his  nar- 
row escape  as  March  i,  30  B.C.  This  ode  then  was  probably  written 
within  that  month.     Metre,  68. 

I  lie  et  nefasto  te  posuit  die, 
quicumque  primum,  et  sacrilega  manu 
produxit,  arbos,  in  nepotum 

perniciem  opprobriumque  pagi; 

5  ilium  et  parentis  crediderim  sui 

fregisse  cervicem  et  penetralia 


I  ff.  Cf.  Ovid's  amusing  dia- 
tribe against  his  writing  tablets. 
Am.  I,  12,  158".  illutn  eitavt,  qui 
vos  (sc.  tabellas)  ex  arbore  vertit 
in  usicm,  \  convincam  puras  non 
habidsse  mames,  \  praebtiit  ilia 
arbor  misero  suspetidia  collo,  \ 
carnifici  diras  praebtdt  ilia  cruces  : 
I  ilia  dedit  turpes  ravis  buboni- 
biis  uvibras :  |  voltiiris  in  rands  et 
strigis  ova  tulit.  —  nefasto  .  .  . 
die :  technically  the  days  on  which 
the  magistrates  might  not  give 
judgment,  i.e.  utter  the  three  words 
do,  dico,  addico.  Cf  Ovid  Fasti 
1 ,  47  f.  ille  nefastus  erit,  per  quern 
tria  verba  silentnr  \  fastus  erit, 
per  quern  lege  licebit  agi.  Gradu- 
ally extended,  the  word  came  to 


include  all  unlucky  or  ill-omened 
days. 

2  ff.  quicumque  primum :  par- 
enthetical, sc.  te  posidt  from  the 
preceding  verse.  —  produxit  in, 
etc. :  reared  to  be.  —  pagi :  district. 

5.  ilium:  emphatically  repeat- 
ing the  initial  ille  above ;  itself 
repeated  by  ille  v.  8  below.  Intr. 
28  c.  —  crediderim :  potential. 

6f.  fregisse  cervicem:  stran- 
gled. Cf.  Epod.  3,  2  si  quis  .  .  . 
senile  guttur  fregerit. — penetralia : 
the  shrines  of  the  household  gods, 
the  sacred  hearthstone.  Protection 
of  one's  guest  was  a  holy  obligation. 
—  nocturno  :  giving  an  added  touch 
of  horror  to  the  description,  —  with 
blood  of  his  guest  slain  by  night. 


196 


CARMINA 


[2,  13,  18 


IS 


sparsisse  nocturno  cruore 
hospitis;  ille  venena  Colcha 

et  quicquid  usquam  concipitur  nefas 
tractavit,  agro  qui  statuit  meo 
te  triste  lignum,  te  caducum 
in  domini  caput  immerentis. 

Quid  quisque  vitet,  numquam  homini  satis 
cautum  est  in  horas.     Navita  Bosporum 
Poenus  perhorrescit  neque  ultra 
caeca  timet  aliunde  fata ; 

miles  sagittas  et  celerem  fugam 
Parthi,  catenas  Parthus  et  Italum 


8  ff.  Colcha :  a  standing  epi- 
thet, as  Medea,  whose  liome  was 
Colchis,  was  chief  of  sorceresses. 
Cf.  Epod.  5,  24;  17,  35.  —  trac- 
tavit :  has  had  a  finger  in :  ex- 
tended by  a  slight  zeugma  from 
venena  to  quicquid  nefas.  For 
this  meaning,  cf.  Epod.  3,  8. 

II  f.  triste  lignum:  fatal  log. 
•  Cf.  3,  4,  27  devota  arbor ',  and 
Verg.  E.  3,  Zo  triste  lupus  stabulis. 
Nearly  the  same  meaning  appears 
2,  14,  8  tristi  ttnda,  said  of  the 
Styx.  —  te  .  .  .  te  :  the  anaphora 
shows  the  poet's  earnestness.  — ■ 
caducum :  ready  to  fall.  —  domini : 
owner,  showing  that  Horace's 
escape  took  place  on  his  own 
farm. 

13  ff.  'No  one  ever  knows  the 
particular  danger  he  should  avoid : 
with  all  the  timid  caution  of  sailor. 


soldier,  or  Parthian,  death  still 
comes  in  unexpected  forms.'  — 
homini :  dat.  of  agent  with  cautum 
est.  —  in  horas  :  from  hour  to  hour, 
formed  after  the  analogy  of  in  dies. 
—  navita  .  .  .  Poenus :  of  Sidon 
or  Tyre.  Cf.  Soph.  F?g.  823  N. 
^oivL^  avrjp,  SiStovtos  KiiirrjXos.  — 
Bosporum :  i.e.  the  Thracian  Bos- 
phorus,  notorious  for  its  storms. 
Cf-  3,  4,  30  insanientem  .  .  .  Bos- 
porum. —  ultra  .  .  .  aliimde : 
from  any  other  source  besides.  — 
timet :  for  the  quantity,  see  Intr. 

35- 

17  ff.  miles:  i.e.  the  Italian, 
whose  most  dreaded  foe  was  the 
Parthian.  —  sagittas,  etc.  :  cf.  n. 
to  I,  19,  II.  The  Parthian  in  his 
turn  most  fears  subjection  to  the 
Romans  (catenas)  and  the  brave 
soldiers  of  Italy   (Italum  robur). 


[97 


2,  13.  '9] 


HORATI 


25 


robur  :  sed  improvisa  leti 
vis  rapuit  rapietque  gentis. 

Quam  paene  furvae  regna  Proserpinae 
et  iudicantem  vidimus  Aeacum 
sedesque  discriptas  piorum  et 
Aeoliis  fidibus  querentem 

Sappho  puellis  de  popularibus, 
et  te  sonantem  plenius  aureo, 
Alcaee,  plectro  dura  navis, 
dura  fugae  mala,  dura  belli. 


—  sed  inprovisa  :  emphatic,  still  it 
is  ike  unexpected,  etc. 

21  ff.  Horace  returns  to  reflec- 
tions on  his  own  possible  fate  and 
to  thoughts  of  the  shades  he  would 
have  seen  in  the  lower  world. 
As  a  poet  he  would  desire  to  be- 
hold his  great  models,  Sappho  and 
Alcaeus ;  exactly  as  Socrates,  in 
his  cheerful  anticipation  of  Hades 
(Plat.  Apol.  40E-41C),  wished 
to  meet  Palamedes,  Ajax  son  of 
Telamon,  and  all  others  who  had 
been  victims  of  unjust  judgments 
like  himself.  —  furvae  :  dusky,  the 
proper  epithet  for  regna,  here 
transferred  to  Queen  Proserpina. 
Intr.  99.  Seneca  had  the  same 
thought  in  mind  when  he  wrote  H. 
F.  547  ff.  qua  spe  praecipites  actus 
ad  inferos  \  audax  ire  vias  inre- 
jueabiles  \  vidisti  Siculae  regna 
Proserpinae  f  —  PrSserpinae  :  here 
the  first  syllable  is  short,  but  ordi- 
narily it  is  long.  Cf.  I,  28,  20.  — 
Aeacum :  with  Minos  and  Rhada- 
manthus,  judge  of  the  dead. 


23  f .  sedes  discriptas :  homes 
set  apart  {separatas),  i.e.  from  the 
place  of  punishment.  So  Vergil 
A.  8,  670  has  secretos  pios.  Note 
the  order  of  progress  :  the  throne 
of  Proserpina,  the  judgment  seat, 
and  after  that  the  Elysian  fields. 
—  Aeoliis :  the  Aeolic  dialect  was 
the  speech  of  Lesbos^  the  home 
of  Horace's  chief  models,  Sappho 
and  Alcaeus,  so  that  this  adjective 
instantly  suggested  to  the  educated 
Roman  these  two  poets.  —  queren- 
tem, etc.  :  because  the  maidens 
of  her  city  were  so  cold  in  love. 

25  ff.  Sappho:  accusative. — 
sonantem  plenius  :  sounding  a 
fuller  strain.  Alcaeus  sang  of 
war  and  exile,  as  well  as  love.  — 
aureo  .  .  .  plectro :  instrumental 
abl.  The  adjective  marks  the 
splendor  of  Alcaeus'  song.  Cf. 
Quint.  10,  I,  63  Alcaeus  in  parte 
operis  aureo  plectro  merito  dona- 
tur.  —  f ugae  :  exile.  For  the  triple 
anaphora  dura,  dura,  dura,  see 
Intr.  28  c. 


198 


CARMINA 


[2,   13,  38 


Vtrumque  sacro  digna  silentio 
30  mirantur  umbrae  dicere  ;  sed  magis 

pugnas  et  exactos  tyrannos 

densum  umeris  bibit  aure  volgus. 

Quid  mirum,  ubi  illis  carminibus  stupens 
demittit  atras  belua  centiceps 
35  auris  et  intorti  capillis 

Eumenidum  recreantur  angues  ? 

Quin  et  Prometheus  et  Pelopis  parens 
dulci  laborem  decipitur  sono, 


29  ft.  utrumque  .  .  .  dicere :  de- 
pendent on  mirantur,  h'sien  with 
wonder  at.  —  sacro  .  .  .  silentio : 
such  as  was  observed  during  pray- 
ers and  religious  rites.  The  very 
song  is  divine.  The  phrase  is  re- 
produced by  Milton  P.  L.  5,  555 
'Worthy  of  sacred  silence  to  be 
heard.'  —  sed  magis  :  i.e.  the  com- 
mon crowd  is  stirred  more  by 
Alcaeus'  songs  of  battles  and  civil 
strife  than  by  Sappho's  softer 
strains.  —  exactos  tyrannos:  the 
expulsion  of  tyratits .  Cf.  2,  4,  10. 
Alcaeus  took  part  in  the  struggles 
of  his  native  island  against  the 
tyrants.  One  of  the  fragments  of 
his  poems  (No.  37)  is  an  invec- 
tive against  the  tyrant  Pittacus ; 
another  (No.  20)  a  triumphant  ode 
over  Myrsilus'  death.  Cf.  intro- 
ductory note  to  I,  37. 

32.  densum  umeris  :  crowded 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  in  desire  to 
hear.  —  bibit  aure :  a  common 
phrase  for  eager  attention.  Prop. 
4)    6,    8    suspensis    auribus    ista 


bibam ;  Ovid.  Trist.  3,  5,  14  auri- 
bus ilia  bibi ;  cf.  Verg.  A.  4,  359 
auribus  hausi. 

33.  quid  mirum,  ubi:  i.e.  'what 
wonder  that  the  shades  listened, 
when  even  fierce  Cerberus  and  the 
Furies  relaxed  their  rage.'  —  stu- 
pens :  charmed,  lulled  by.  —  demittit 
auris :  i.e.  under  the  spell  of  Alcae- 
us' music  he  gives  up  his  fierce- 
ness.— centiceps:  possibly  Horace 
had  in  mind  the  snakes  about  Cer- 
berus' head.  —  recreantur  -.find  rest, 
with  this  strophe  cf.  Vergil's  ac- 
count, G.  4,  481-483,  of  the  power 
of  Orpheus'  song  qititt  ipsae  stu- 
puere  domus  atqjie  intima  Leti 
I  Tartara  \  caeruleosque  iinplexae 
crinibus  aiiguis  \  Eunienides  tenu- 
itque  inhians  tria  Cerberus  or  a. 

37.  quin  et :  introducing  a  still 
greater  marvel.  Cf.  i,  10,  13. — 
Prometheus :  only  Horace  places 
Prometheus'  punishment  in  the 
lower  world.  Cf.  2,  18,  35  ;  Epod. 
17,  67.  He  is  probably  chosen 
simply   as   typical    of  those    who 

99 


2,  13,  39]  HORATI 

nec  curat  Orion  leones 
40  aut  timidos  agitare  lyncas. 

suffered  the  severest  punishments ;  Orion  :    Odysseus  on  his   visit   to 

or  was  Horace   following  Maece-  the  lower  world  found  Orion  still 

nas'    Prometheiis?  —  Pelopis    pa-  engaged    in    his    favorite    sport. 

rens:  Tantalus.  Od.  11,  572  f.  rov  8e  fxer'Upiiova 

38  ff.    laborem    decipitur :     are  ireXwpiov   elaevorjaa  \  6rjpa<i  o/jlov 

beguiled  to  forget   their   toil.     In  eiAeOvra  xar'  a(T(f>oScX6v  Aei/xwva. 

sense  the  phrase  is  like  laborem  Miltonseemstohavehadvv.  33-40 

fallere  S.  2,  2,  12.     Probably  de-  in  mind,  P.  L.  2,  552  ff.  'Their  song 

cipitur   is   to   be   regarded    as    a  was  partial,  but  the  harmony  |  Sus- 

middle.       For    the    meaning    of  pended  Hell  and  took  with  ravish- 

labor,  cf.  n.   to  Epod.  17,   64. —  ment  |  The  thronging  audience. 


14 

A  lament  on  the  fleeting  character  of  life.  '  Alas,  good  friend, 
do  what  we  will,  old  age  and  death  come  on  apace.  No  sacrifice  can 
stay  the  hand  of  the  pitiless  lord  of  death  ;  rich  and  poor  alike  must  come 
unto  his  realm,  and  all  thy  efforts  to  avoid  war,  the  sea,  or  fell  disease 
are  vain.  Thou  must  leave  all  behind  that  thou  holdest  now  most  dear. 
Then  thy  stored  wine,  thy  heir,  worthier  than  thou,  will  waste.'  In  the 
last  strophe  Horace  in  negative  fashion  returns  to  his  philosophy  of  life, 
*  Seize  the  pleasure  of  the  passing  hour,  and  do  not  waste  your  time  in 
gathering  wealth  you  do  not  use  yourself.  To-morrow  we  all  die  and 
another  wastes  our  savings.' 

The  Postumus  to  whom  the  ode  is  addressed  was  an  imaginary 
personage ;  at  least  the  name  was  so  used  by  Martial  2,  23,  i  f.  non 
dicam,  licet  usque  me  rogetis,  \  quis  sit  Postumus  in  meo  libello,  and 
5,  58,  7  f.  eras  vivesf  hodie  iam  vivere,  Postume,  serum  est:  \  ille 
sapit,  quisquis,  Postume,  vixit  heri.  Horace's  thoughts  frequently 
turned  to  death ;  but  this  and  4,  7  are  his  finest  treatments  of  the 
theme.     There  is  no  indication  of  the  date  of  composition.     Metre,  68. 

Eheu  fugaces,  Postume,  Postume, 
labuntur  anni,  nec  pietas  moram 

1-4.  eheu  :  the  opening  word  fleeting  character  of  life ;  and  the 
is  a  sigh,  which  indicates  the  repetition  of  the  proper  name 
gloomy  nature  of  the  entire  ode.  shows  the  poet's  earnestness.  — 
The  second  word  emphasizes  the      labuntur :  slip  by,  before  we  notice 

200 


CARMINA 


[2,  14,  10 


rugis  et  instanti  senectae 
adferet  indomitaeque  morti, 

non  si  trecenis  quotquot  eunt  dies, 
amice,  places  inlacrimabilem 
Plutona  tauris,  qui  ter  amplum 
Geryonen  Tityonque  tristi 

compescit  unda,  scilicet  omnibus, 
quicumque  terrae  munere  vescimur, 


it.  Cf.  Ovid.  Fasti  6,  771  tetnpora 
labuntur  tacitisqiie  senescinuis 
annis.  —  pietas  :  i.e.  toward  the 
gods,  expanded  below  in  vv.  5-7. 

—  rugis  .  .  .  senectae  .  .  .  morti : 
note  the  climax.  —  instanti :  cf. 
Sen.  Q.  N.  praef.  3  premit  a 
tergo  senectus.  Mimner.  5,  4  yrjpa^ 
VTrlp  K€<f)a.\rj<;  avTL)(   viT€pKpifJua.TaL. 

—  indomitae  .  .  .  morti :  i.e.  in- 
domabili,  the  Homeric  ^Ki^%  toi 
d/xet'Ai;(OS  178'  aSa/xacTTOS  (//■  9. 
158).  Cf.  also  Aeschylus  Frg. 
161    jLiovos    ^ewv    yap    ^avaros    ov 

ScipWV   €pd,    I   Ou8      aV    TL    6v<iiV    ovo 

iirLO-irevSuiv  avots,  |  ovB'  tart  ^ajp,6s 
ouSe  Traiwvt^erai.  '  For  alone 
among  the  gods  death  cares  not 
for  gifts  :  thou  canst  not  stay  him 
a  whit  by  sacrifice  or  libation  ;  no 
altar  has  he  nor  is  he  praised  in 
paean  hymns.' 

5  f.  non  si :  710,  not  even  if.  — 
trecenis  .  .  .  tauris :  three  heca- 
tombs every  day.  —  amice  :  for 
the  short  anacrusis,  cf.  2,  9, 
5.  —  places  :  conative.  —  inla- 
crimabilem :  tearless,  not  moved 
to  tears.      Cf.    n.    to    i,    3,    22. 


The  same  adjective  is  passive  4, 
9,  26. 

7  f .  ter  amplum :  a  translation 
of  the  Greek  TpiawfiaTov,  which 
Euripides  H.  F.  423  applies  to 
Geryones.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  8,  202 
tergemini  .  .  .  Geryonae.  —  Gery- 
onen :  the  monster  with  three  bod- 
ies whom  Hercules  slew  and  then 
drove  off  his  cattle.  For  a  vase 
painting  illustrating  the  fight,  see 
Baumeister,  p.  662.  —  Tityon :  the 
son  of  earth,  who  offered  violence  to 
Leto.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  595-600.  — 
tristi :  cf.  n.  to  triste  ligmcm  3,  13, 
1 1  ;  Verg.  G.  4,  478  ff.  qiios  circum 
limns  tiiger  et  deformis  artindo  \ 
Cocyti  tardaqne  palus  inatnabilis 
nnda  \  alligat,  et  noviens  Styx  in- 
terfusa  coercet. 

9  f .  scilicet  omnibus,  etc. :  which 
all  of  ns  in  very  truth  ;  dat.  of 
agent  with  enaviganda.  — quicum- 
que terrae,  etc. :  imitated  from  the 
Homeric  phrases  //.  6,  142  fiporol 
dl  apovprj'i  Kapirov  iSovaiv,  and  Od. 
8,  222  oaaOL  vvv  /Sporot  eicnv  iyrl 
X$ovL  (TLTov  eSovres.  —  munere  : 
bounty. 


2,  14,  II] 


HORATI 


enaviganda,  sive  reges 
sive  inopes  erimus  coloni. 

Frustra  cruento  Marte  carebimus 
fractisque  rauci  fluctibus  Hadriae, 
15  frustra  per  autumnos  nocentem 

corporibus  metuemus  Austrum. 

Visendus  ater  fiumine  languido 
Cocytos  errans  et  Danai  genus 
infame  damnatusque  longi 
20  Sisyphus  Aeolides  laboris. 

Linquenda  tellus  et  domus  et  placens 
uxor,  neque  harum  quas  colis  arborum 


II  f.  enaviganda:  an  intensive 
compound  formed  by  Horace  to 
express  the  idea  of  sailing  com- 
pletely across  —  to  the  further 
shore  of— the  gloomy  stream. — 
reges :  the  rich  in  contrast  to  the 
poor  farmers  (coloni).  Cf.  our 
term  '  merchant-princes.'  See 
also  I,  4,  14. 

13!  Notice  the  alliteration 
and  assonance  in  this  and  the  fol- 
lowing line.  —  frustra  .  .  .  frus- 
tra :  emphatic  anaphora ;  ti  is  all 
in  vain  that  we  ■  •  •  ,  in  vain. 
Intr.  28c.  —  carebimus:  try  to 
avoid.  —  rauci :  i.e.  as  the  waves 
break  on  the  shore. 

15  f.  per  autumnos,  etc.  :  par- 
ticularly the  latter  part  of  August 
and  the  month  of  September  when 
the  Sirocco  (Auster)  blows. — 
corporibus :  with  both  nocentem 
and  metuemus.     Intr.  100. 


17  f.  ater . . .  Cocytus  :  cf.  Verg. 
G.  4, 478-80  quoted  on  v.  8  above, 
and  ^.  6, 132  Cocytosqiiesinu  labens 
circumvenit  atro.  —  genus  infame  : 
because  they  all,  save  Hypermes- 
tra,  killed  their  husbands  on  the 
wedding  night.  Cf.  3,  11,  23  ff. 
and  notes. 

ig  f .  damnatus  .  .  .  laboris  : 
the  genitive  of  the  sentence  in- 
flicted is  here  used  after  the  anal- 
ogy of  the  objective  genitive  of 
the  crime.  —  longi :  in  the  sense 
o{  aeterni.  Cf.  2,  16,  30;  3,  11, 
38.  For  an  archaic  vase  painting 
illustrating  the  punishment  of  the 
Danaids  and  Sisyphus,  see  Baum. 
p.  1924. 

21  f.  Possibly  Horace  had  in 
mind  here  Lucretius'  beautiful 
verses,  3,  894  ff.  iamiam  non  do- 
mus accipiet  te  laeta  neqiie  uxor 
I     optima    nee    dukes    occurrent 


CARMINA 


[2,15 


25 


te  praeter  invisas  cupressos 

ulla  brevem  dominum  sequetur. 

Absumet  heres  Caecuba  dignior 
servata  centum  clavibus  et  mero 
tinguet  pavimentum  superbo, 
pontificum  potiore  cenis. 


osada  nati  \  praeripere  et  tacita 
pectus  didcedine  tangent.  Cf.  also 
Gray's  Elegy  21  if.  'For  them  no 
more  the  blazing  hearth  shall  burn, 
I  Or  busy  housewife  ply  her  even- 
ing care ;  |  No  children  run  to 
lisp  their  sire's  return,  |  Or  climb 
his  knees  the  envied  kiss  to  share.' 
—  placens  :  beloved.  —  quas  colis  : 
thoti  now  prizest. 

23  f.  invisas  cupressos  :  because 
the  cypress  is  the  sign  of  mourn- 
ing. Cf.  Epod.  5,  18  cupressos  fu- 
nebris ;  Whittier, '  Alas  for  him  who 
never  sees  the  stars  shine  through 
his  cypress  trees.'  —  brevem  : 
short-lived.  '  Your  very  trees  out- 
live you.'  Cf.  1,4,  15  vltae  summa 
brevis  spetn  nos  vetat  mcohare 
longam,  and  Tennyson's  '  little 
lives  of  men.' 

25.  heres:    the    dreaded  heir. 


Cf.  n.  to  2,  3,  19  f.  —  Caecuba :  cf. 
n.  to  I,  20,  9.  —  dignior:  because 
he  knows  how  to  use  wealth. 
'You  hoard  it.'  With  this  taunt 
Horace  drives  home  his  lesson  of 
the  folly  of  treasuring  one's  pos- 
sessions too  highly. 

26  f .  centum :  an  indefinite  num- 
ber.—  mero  .  .  .  superbo:  the  very 
wine  is  conscious  of  its  excellence 
and  proud  that  it  outlives  man. 
Cf.  Petron.  34  eheii !  ergo  ditttius 
vivit  vinwn  qiiam  homuncw.  ■ — 
tinguet :  in  his  riotous  com/mssa- 
tio. 

28.  pontificum :  whose  dinners 
were  proverbial  for  their  luxury 
and  splendor.  Cf.  i,  37,  2  Sa- 
liaribus  .  .  .  dapibus  and  n.  — 
potiore  cenis :  better  than  that 
drunk  at  the,  etc.  A  compendi- 
ous expression.     Cf.  n.  to  2,  6,  14. 


A  protest  against  the  increasing  luxury  of  the  time!  '  Palaces  and 
fish  ponds  now  leave  little  ground  for  cultivation ;  vineyards  and  or- 
chards have  given  way  to  shade  trees  and  flower  beds.  It  was  very 
different  in  the  good  old  days,  when  private  fortunes  were  small  and 
men's  first  care  was  for  the  state ;  then  private  houses  were  not  great ; 
public  buildings  and  temples  only  were  of  marble.' 

203 


2,   15,  I] 


HOl^TI 


Such  protests  are  common  to  all  times  of  wealth  and  luxury.  Another 
example  is  3,  6.  Augustus  tried  to  restrain  the  growth  of  private  extrava- 
gance, and  to  restore  the  agricultural  prosperity  of  Italy.  Some  editors 
have  wished,  therefore,  to  connect  this  ode  with  the  date  (28  B.C.)  at 
which  Octavian  assumed  the  duties  of  censor,  and  indeed  it  is  quite  pos- 
sible that  it  was  written  at  the  emperor's  request.  The  verses  are  stiff, 
and  bear  the  marks  of  being  made  to  order.  The  position  here  after 
14,  from  which  in  some  manuscripts  it  is  not  separated,  is  a  natural  one, 
for  it  continues  the  attack  on  the  folly  of  great  wealth.  The  ode  is, 
however,  wholly  impersonal,  not  even  the  indefinite  second  person  being 
used,  and  lacks  the  poetical  quality  of  14.     Metre,  68. 

lam  pauca  aratro  iugera  regiae 
moles  relinquent ;  imdique  latius 
extenta  visentur  Lucrino 

stagna  lacu,  platanusque  caelebs 

5  evincet  ulmos  ;  turn  violaria  et 

myrtus  et  omnis  copia  narium 


I  ff.  Cf.  with  the  the  general  sen- 
timent of  the  ode  Seneca  Epist.  89, 
21  qiioiisque  nullus  erit  lacus,  cni 
11071  villarum  vestrarum  fastigia 
immineant,  nullum  flumen^  cuius 
fion  ripas  aedificia  vestra  prae- 
texant?  .  .  .  nbicumque  in  aliquem 
sinuni  litus  curvabitur  vos  proti- 
nus  fundantenta  facietis,  nee  con- 
tenti  solo,  nisi  quod  fnanu  feceritis, 
mare  agetis  introrsus  (cf.  C.  2,  18  ; 
3,  24) .  —  regiae  moles :  i.e.  the  pal- 
aces of  the  rich.  Cf.  n.  to  2,  14, 
II,  also  3,  29,  10,  where  Maecenas' 
city  house  is  called  molem  propin- 
quam  nubibus  arduis. 

3  f .  visentur :  will  be  seen  with 
wonder.  —  Lucrino  .  .  .  lacu :  near 
Baiae,  famous  for  its  oysters  and 
fish.  Cf.n.to^/^^.2,49.  —  stagna: 
piscinae,  in  which  the  fish  dear 


to  Roman  epicures  were  raised. — 
platanus  caelebs :  during  the  last 
century  B.C.  the  plane  tree  became 
a  favorite  for  parks  and  gardens. 
Cf.  2,  II,  13.  The  thick  shade 
which  its  broad  leaves  cast  made 
it  unsuited  as  a  support  for  the 
vine  —  therefore  called  caelebs.  Cf. 
n.  to  Epod.  2,  10.  Martial,  3,  58, 
3,  names  it  vidua  platanus. 

5.  evincet:  shall  drive  out. — 
violaria  :  violet  beds ;  with  the  myr- 
tle—  a  flowering  shrub — and  other 
sweet-smelling  flowers,  typical  of 
luxury. 

6  ff.  omnis  copia  narium :  all  the 
wealth  (of  flowers)  that  fills  the  nos- 
trils; an  intentionally  artificial  ex- 
pression for  odor,  used  here  to  hint 
at  Horace's  dislike  for  such  elabo- 
rate flower  gardens. — olivetis:  lo- 


204 


CARMINA 


[2,  15,  18 


15 


spargent  olivetis  odorem 
fertilibus  domino  priori ; 

turn  spissa  ramis  laurea  fervidos 
excludet  ictus.     Non  ita  Romuli 
praescriptum  et  intonsi  Catonis 
auspiciis  veterumque  norma. 

Privatus  illis  census  erat  brevis, 
commune  magnum  ;  nulla  decempedis 
metata  privatis  opacam 
porticus  excipiebat  Arcton, 

nee  fortuitum  spernere  caespitem 
leges  sinebant,  oppida  publico 


cative  ablative. — fertilibus:  predi- 
cate, that  were  productive.  With 
the  preceding,  cf.  Quintilian's  ques- 
tion, 8,  3,  8  mi  ego  fundum  cul- 
tiorem  putem,  in  quo  mihi  quis 
ostenderit  lilia  et  violas  et  anemo- 
nas,  fontes  surgentes,  quam  ubi 
plena  messis  aut  graves  friictu 
vites  eruntf  sterilem  platan  urn 
tonsasque  myrtos  qua>n  tnaritam 
ubnum  et  uteres  oleas  praeoptave- 
rim  ? 

gf.  ramis:  instrumental  abl. 
The  laurel  was  trimmed  into  fan- 
ciful shapes,  and  grew  thick  and 
close  (spissa).  —  laurea:  sc. arbor. 
—  ictus:  sc.  solis.  —  non  ita,  etc.: 
•  it  was  different  in  the  good  old 
days.' — Romuli:  like  Catonis,  modi- 
fying auspiciis. 

II.  praescriptum:  sc.  est.  —  Ca- 
tonis: Cato  the  Censor,  who  died 
149  B.C..  devoted  his  best  efforts  to 
an  attempt   to  stem  the  modern 


Hellenizing  tendencies  of  his  time ; 
as  a  sign  of  his  conservatism  he  is 
said  to  be  bearded,  like  Curius  in  i, 
12,  41.  He  became  typical  of  the 
stern,  old-fashioned  Roman. — au- 
spiciis: the  example.  The  auspicia 
could  be  taken  only  by  high  magis- 
trates, so  that  the  sentence  means 
—  'when  men  like  a  Romulus  or  a 
Cato  ruled  the  state.' 

1 3  f .  census :  income.  —  brevis : 
i.e.  the  record  of  their  property 
was  short.  —  nulla,  etc. :  i.e.  as 
nowadays.  —  decempedis  :  survey- 
ors' rods,  perticae,  used  in  measur- 
ing the  new-fashioned  porticoes  of 
private  citizens. — privatis:  gram- 
matically connected  with  decempe- 
dis. but  emphasizing  the  fact  that 
these  are  private  buildings. 

16.  excipiebat :  caught,  i.e. 
opened  to  the  cool  north. 

17 f.  fortuitum:  the  first  chance 
turf  that  came  to  hand,  opposed 


205 


2,  15,  19]  HORATI 

sumptu  iubentes  et  deorum 
2o  templa  novo  decorare  saxo. 

to  novo  saxo  v.  20.  — caespitem :  for  pire.  Pliny  N.  H.  36,  48  says  that 
building  a  simple  altar  (cf.  i,  19,  Mamurra,  in  the  time  of  Julius 
13)  or  for  thatching  roofs.  Verg.  Caesar,  was  the  first  Roman  to 
E.i,6()congestum  caespite  culmen.  use  marble  slabs  for  lining  the 
— leges:  i.e.  the  prescriptions  of  walls  of  his  house,  but  marble 
ancient  ritual.  —  oppida:  i.e.  the  columns  had  been  used  in  private 
public  buildings. — publico  sumptu :  houses  for  half  a  century  before 
in  contrast  to  the  private  luxury  this  date.  On  the  changes  in  the 
typified  in  14-16.  appearance  of  Rome  during  Au- 
20.  novo  .  .  .  saxo :  undoubtedly  gustus'  reign,  cf.  his  famous  state- 
marble  is  meant,  which  came  into  ment  (Suet.  Aug.  28)  niarmoream 
use  for  private  dwellings  only  in  se  relinquere  {urdetn},  guam  la- 
the  last  half-century  before  the  em-  tericiam  accepisset. 

16 


A  collection  of  sententiae  on  Horace's  favorite  theme :  '  a  contented 
spirit  is  beyond  all  other  possessions." 

*  Peace  is  the  prayer  of  all  men  —  the  sailor  on  the  stormy  sea,  the 
warlike  Thracian  and  Mede.  Peace  thou  canst  not  buy.  Neither  wealth 
nor  power  will  drive  away  men's  wretched  cares.  He  only  lives  well  who 
lives  on  little,  undistressed  by  fear  or  greed.  Why  should  we  move 
from  land  to  land  and  put  forth  our  weak  efforts  ?  Care  follows  hard 
upon  us.  No,  life  is  mingled  sweet  and  bitter,  and  all  things  have  their 
compensation.  Perhaps  the  flitting  hour  gives  me  something  thou  hast 
not.  For  thee  an  hundred  herds  low,  thou  hast  thy  stud  and  royal  pur- 
ple ;  yet  I  possess  my  little  farm,  a  slight  inspiration  for  Greek  verse, 
and  the  power  to  scorn  the  envious.' 

The  Grosphus  here  addressed  is  probably  the  same  Pompeius  Gros- 
phus  recommended  by  Horace,  Epist.  i,  12,  22-24,  to  his  friend  Iccius 
(cf.  introduction  to  i,  29),  when  the  latter  was  managing  Agrippa's 
estates  in  Sicily.  That  Grosphus  also  had  large  possessions  there  is 
evident  from  vv.  33-37,  but  that  he  was  still  a  man  who  could  appreciate 
Horace's  expansion  of  his  life's  text  may  be  a  fair  conclusion  from  the 
character  given  him  in  the  epistle  mentioned  above,  nil  nisi  vermii 
orabit  et  aeqmiin. 

The  exact  date  of  composition  cannot  be  determined,  but  the  men- 
tion of  Thrace  and  the  Medes  may  point  to  a  date  before  27  B.C.     In 

206 


CARMINA 


[2,  16,  10 


July  of  that  year  M.  Licinius  Crassus  enjoyed  a  triumph  over  the  Thra- 
cians  and  Getae.  In  any  case  the  verses  came  from  the  time  when 
Horace  felt  his  happiness  secured  and  his  position  as  lyric  poet  sure,  so 
that  he  could  scorn  those  who  grudged  him  his  position.     Metre,  69. 

Otium  divos  rogat  in  patent! 
prensus  Aegaeo,  simul  atra  nubes 
condidit  liinam  neque  certa  fulgent 
sidera  nautis ; 

5  otium  bello  furiosa  Thrace, 

otium  Medi  pharetra  decori, 
Grosphe,  non  gemmis  neque  purpura  ve- 
nale  neque  auro. 

Non  enim  gazae  neque  consularis 
ID  submovet  lictor  miseros  tumultus 


I  f .  otium :  peace,  in  its  widest 
meaning  —  escape  from  the  dan- 
gers of  the  storm,  relief  from  war, 
and  freedom  from  the  anxiety  that 
ambition  brings. —patenti:  the 
open .  —  prensus :  caught,  for  the 
more  common  deprensus.  —simul : 
cf.  n.  to  I,  4,  17. 

3f.  certa:  predicate,  with  sure 
atid  certain  light.  The  constella- 
tions by  which  the  ancient  sailor 
directed  his  vessel  are  meant  by 
the  general  term,  sidera. 

5  f .  For  the  emphatic  anaphora, 
see  Intr.  28c.  —  bello  furiosa,  etc.: 
Thrace  is  called  by  Vergil  ^.  3, 13 
Mavortia  terra. 

7.  purpura  :  calling  to  mind  the 
stripe  on  the  praetexta  of  the 
Roman  magistrates,  or  the  -royal 
purple '  of  kings ;    in  either  case 


symbolizing  power. — ve-nale:  for 
close  connection  between  the  third 
and  fourth  verses,  see  n.  to  i,  2,  19. 
Intr.  69. 

9  f .  gazae  .  .  .  lictor :  repeat- 
ing the  thought  of  the  two  preced- 
ing verses  — '  neither  wealth  nor 
power  can  free  the  anxious  mind.' 
This  is  a  common  moral  senti- 
ment ;  the  most  famous  expres- 
sion of  it  is  by  Lucretius  2,  37-52. 
Cf.  also  Tibull.  3,  3,  21  no7i  opibus 
nientes  hominutn  curaeque  levan- 
tur ;  I  nam  Fortuna  sua  tempora 
lege  regit.  —  submovet :  a  techni- 
cal term  for  clearing  the  road  be- 
fore a  magistrate,  or  making  a 
crowd  'move  on.'  Cf.  Liv.  3, 
48,  3  /,  lictor,  submove  turbam. 
The  figure  is  continued  in  timiul- 
tus. 


207 


2,   1 6,   II  J 


HORATI 


IS 


mentis  et  curas  laqueata  circum 
tecta  volantis. 

Vivitur  parvo  bene  cui  paternum 
splendet  in  mensa  tenui  salinum 
nee  levis  somnos  timor  aut  cupido 
sordidus  aufert. 

Quid  brevi  fortes  iaculamur  aevo 
multa  ?     Quid  terras  alio  calentis 
feole  mutamus  ?     Patriae  quis  exsul 
I    se  quoque  f ugit  ? 


1 1 .  laqueata  .  .  .  tecta :  pan- 
eled ceilings,  of  the  rich  man's 
house,  round  which  cares  batlike 
flit.  'Wealth  brings  anxiety  with 
it.'  Cf.  Sen.  H.  O.  646  f.  aurea 
rtimpunt  tecta  quietem  \  vigilesqne 
trahit  purpura  nodes. 

13  f.  vivitur,  etc. :  sc.  ab  eo ; 
he  lives  well  on  little,  etc.  —  bene  : 
well  and  happily.  —  paternum  .  .  . 
salinum :  the  one  piece  of  family 
plate  on  his  modest  board  is  the 
sacred  saltcellar  kept  brightly 
polished.  In  the  old  days  of 
Rome's  greatness  a  saltcellar  and 
a  plate  for  offerings  to  the  gods 
were  all  the  silver  that  a  Fabri- 
cius  or  an  Aemilius  possessed. 
Val.  Max.  4,  4,  3  in  C.  Fabricii  et 
Q.  Aetnilii  Papi,  principutn  sae- 
culi  sui,  domibus  argentum  fuisse 
coTifitear  oportet :  uterque  enim  * 
patellam  deorunt  et  salinum  ha- 
buit.  The  saltcellar  is  used  by 
Persius  3,  24  ff.  as  typical  of 
'  little  and  enough,'  sed  rure  pa- 


ter no  I  esttibifar7nodicum,puruni 
et  sine  labe  salinum :  \  quid  me- 
tuas  ?  Notice  that  Horace  is 
commending  not  poverty,  but 
small  estate  as  the  proper  envi- 
ronment for  happiness.  It  is  the 
desirable  aurea  mediocritas  again. 

15.  levis  somnos :  cf.  n.  to  2, 
II,  8  facilein  soinnuin,  and  to 
Epod.  2, 28.  —  cupido  :  always  mas- 
culine in  Horace,  in  other  writers 
generally  feminine  except  when 
personified. 

17  f.  brevi  .  .  .  aevo:  the  jux- 
taposition of  brevi  and  the  ironi- 
cal fortes,  so  brave,  lends  a  certain 
concessive  force  to  this  ablative, 
despite  our  lifers  brief  span.  — 
multa  :  emphatically  placed.  — 
quid  .  .  .  mutamus  :  sc.  patria. 
For  the  construction,  see  Intr. 
98. 

20.  fiigit  :  perfect,  has  ever, 
etc.  With  the  sentiment  cf.  Epist. 
\,  II,  27  caelum,  non  animum 
mutant,  qui  trans  mare  cur  runt. 


208 


CARMINA 


[2,  i6,  32 


Scandit  aeratas  vitiosa  navis 
Cura  nee  turmas  equitum  relinquit, 
oeior  cervis  et  agente  nimbos 
ocior  Euro. 

25  Laetus  in  praesens  animus  quod  ultra  est 

oderit  curare,  et  amara  lento 
temperet  risu  :  nihil  est  ab  omni 
parte  beatum. 

Abstulit  clarum  cita  mors  Achillem, 
30  longa  Tithonum  minuit  senectus, 

et  mihi  forsan  tibi  quod  negarit 
porriget  bora. 


Sen.  Epist.  28,  2  qiiaeris,  quare 
te  ftiga  ista  non  adiuvet  f  tecum 
fugis;  and  Emerson  Self-Reli- 
ance, '  I  pack  my  trunk  .  .  .  and 
at  last  wake  up  in  Naples,  and 
there  beside  me  is  the  stern  fact, 
the  sad  self,  unrelenting,  identi- 
cal, that  I  fled  from.' 

21-24.  An  amplification  of  the 
preceding  two  verses  — '  neither 
ship  nor  horse  is  swift  enough  to 
escape  pursuing  care.'  The  same 
idea  is  better  expressed  3,  i,  37  ff. 
—  aeratas  :  bronze-beaked.  —  viti- 
osa :  corking,  morbid.  —  ocior  .  .  . 
ocior :  emphasizing  the  swiftness 
with  which  care  moves.     Intr.  28c. 

25.  '  Take  with  joy  the  present 
hour,  do  not  be  "  careful  "  of  to- 
morrow.' Cf  with  the  injunction 
contained  in  the  subject  laetus 
.  .  .  animus,  3,  %,2'ji.  dottaprae- 
sentis  cape  laetus  horae  ac  \  lin- 

HOR.  CAR.  —  14  209 


que  sever  a.  —  oderit :  subjunctive, 
shrink  from.  —  lento  :  quiet,  as 
befits  a  man  who  knows  how  to 
meet  life's  changes. 

29  ff.  Concrete  illustration  of 
the  general  statement  in  v.  27  f. 
—  clarum:  glorious.  Notice  its 
position  next  to  cita  mors,  '■  for 
all  his  glory  death  came  quickly.' 

30.  The  opposite  fate  of  Titho- 
nus.  Cf.  n.  to  1,28,8.  —  longa: 
i.e.  aeterna,  as  2,  14,  ig. 

31  f.  et  mihi :  Horace  here,  as 
frequently,  drives  home  his  state- 
ments by  personal  illustrations  at 
the  close.  The  following  two 
strophes  give  the  details  of  the 
bold  comparison  between  himself 
and  Grosphus.  The  contrast  is 
modestly  put,  but  the  poet's  pride 
rings  in  the  last  words,  malignum 
spernere  volgus.  —  tibi :  with  nega- 
rit. —  hora  :  the  chance  hour. 


2,  1 6,  33] 


I  If  m  ATI 


35 


40 


Te  greges  centum  Siculaeque  circum 
mugiunt  vaccae,  tibi  tollit  hinnitum 
apta  quadrigis  equa,  te  bis  Afro 
murice  tinctae 

vestiunt  lanae  :  mihi  parva  rura  et 
spiritum  Graiae  tenuem  Camenae 
Parca  non  mend  ax  dedit  et  malignum 
spernere  volgus. 


33-36.  te  .  .  .  tibi  .  .  .  te  : 
making  Grosphus'  wealth  promi- 
nent in  comparison  with  Horace's 
parva  rura.  —  centum :  like  mille 
a  round  number.  —  hinnitum  : 
whinny.  For  the  hypermetric 
verse,  see  Intr.  69.  —  equa  :  cf. 
Verg.  G.  I,  59  Eliadum  palmas 
.  .  .  equariim.  —  bis  .  .  .  tinc- 
tae :  twice  dyed,  the  Greek  Bi/3a(f)a, 
a  technical  term.  Cf.  Epod.  12,  21 
muricibtts  Tyriis  iteratae  vellera 
lanae.  —  Afro  murice  :  the  shell- 
fish from  which  the  scarlet  dye  was 
obtained  was  found  on  the  coast  of 
Africa  as  well  as  on  the  southern 
shore  of  the  Peloponnesus. 

37  f.  Note  the  modest  parva, 
tenuem.     For  the  meaning  of  the 


latter  here,  cf.  i,  6,  9  nee  coftaniur 
tennes  gratidia.  —  spiritum  :  in- 
spiration.—  Camenae:  identified 
completely  with  the  Greek  Mowa. 
Cf.  1,12,  39. 

39  f.  non  mendax :  who  does 
not  deceive.,  true.  A  stock  epi- 
thet. Cf.  C.  S.  25  veraces  ceci- 
nisse  Parcae.  Pers.  5,  48  Parca 
tenax  veri.  —  spernere  :  in  the 
same  construction  as  rura,  spiri- 
tum. Horace's  rise  in  the  world 
aroused  much  envy  and  ill-natured 
comment  among  those  of  better 
birth  but  poorer  talents.  That 
he  was  sensitive  to  this  is  shown  by 
his  references  here  and  elsewhere, 
and  his  pride  is  most  natural.  Cf. 
2.  20.  4  invidia  maior,  and  n. 


17 


\ 


The  following  ode  seems  to  have  been  called  forth  by  Maecenas' 
gloomy  forebodings  that  his  end  was  near.  He  was  a  great  sufferer 
from  insomnia  and  fever,  but  shrank  from  death.  The  verses  open  with 
a  rebuke,  but  presently  become  an  assurance  of  the  deepest  affection  : 
the  very  gods  have  willed  that  the  poet  shall  not  outlive  his  friend. 
Moreover,  the  hour  set  by  the  Fates  is  not  yet  come,  else  Maecenas  had 
not  recovered  from  his  last  illness  and  Faunus  had  not  saved  Horace  from 
the  falling  tree.    So  then  they  both  must  offer  to  the  gods  the  sacrificesdue. 


CARMINA 


[2,  17,  10 


Horaces  prophecy  was  fulfilled,  for  he  outlived  Maecenas  but  a  short 
time;  both  died  in  8  B.C.  The  date  of  the  occasions  referred  to  in 
25  ff.  is  30  B.C.  Cf.  I,  20,  3  ff. ;  2,  13.  The  ode  was  probably  written 
soon  after.     Metre.  68. 

Cur  me  querellis  exanimas  tuis  .-' 
Nee  dis  amicum  est  nee  mihi  te  prius 
obire,  Maecenas,  mearum 

grande  decus  columenque  rerum. 

5  A,  te  meae  si  partem  animae  rapit 

maturior  vis,  quid  moror  altera, 
nee  carus  aeque  nee  superstes 
integer  ?     I  lie  dies  utramque 

ducet  ruinam.     Non  ego  perfidum 
10  dixi  sacramentum  :  ibimus,  ibimus, 


I  f .  exanimas  :  half  kill  me.  Cf. 
Epod.  14,  5  occidis  saeperogando. 

—  amicum  est:  the  Greek  i^lXov 
ia-Ti,  equivalent  to  placet. 

3  f.   obire  :  sc.  diem  sitpremum. 

—  grande  decus  columenque  :  cf.  i , 
\,  2  0  et  praesidiia/i  et  duke  decus 
meum.  The  figure  is  old,  e.g. 
Pindar  O.  2,  89  calls  Hector  Tpotus 
Kiova,  but  Horace  invented  this 
phrase,  which  in  his  verse  is  no 
mere  formal  expression.  It  was 
adopted  by  the  later  poets.  Auso- 
nius,  Prudentius.  and  Apollinaris 
Sidonius.  Cf  e.g.  the  last's  C.  23, 
2  Consenti  columen  decusque  mo- 
rum.  —  mearum  .  .  .  rerum :  to, 
e'/Aa.  tne  and  all  1  have. 

5  f.  partem  animae :  sc.  al- 
terafu,  i.e.  the  half.  Cf.  the  term 
of  affection  applied  to  Vergil  i,  3. 
8  animae  dimidium  meae.  —  ma- 


turior :  too  early.,  untimely. — vis: 
the  same  as  2,  13,  19  improvisa 
leti  vis.  —  altera  :  sc.  pars.,  predi- 
cate to  moror. 

7  f .  carus  :  i.e.  mihi.  —  aeque  : 
•  as  before  thou  wert  snatched 
away.' — superstes:  modifying  both 
carus  and  integer.  —  integer  :  for 
half  his  life  will  then  be  gone.  — 
utramque :  with  possessive  force, 
equivalent  to  utramque  nostrum  ru- 
inam.   Cf.  the  full  form  v.  2 1  below. 

9.  ducet:  with  a  reminiscence 
of  the  figure  in  columen,  will  drag 
down.  Cf.  traho  in  the  same 
sense  Verg.  A.  2,  465  {turris) 
elapsa  repente  ruinam  cum  sonitu 
trahit.  —  non  ego  :  both  emphatic. 
Cf.  n.  to  I,  18,  II.  The  negative 
affects  perfidum  alone. 

10  f.  dixi  sacramentum :  the 
technical    term    for   the    soldier's 


2,  17,  II] 


HORATI 


IS 


utcumque  praecedes,  supremum 
carpere  iter  comites  parati. 

Me  nee  Chimaerae  spiritus  igneae 
nee,  si  resurgat,  centimanus  Gyas 
divellet  umquam  ;  sic  potenti 
lustitiae  placitumque  Parcis. 

Seu  Libra  seu  me  Scorpios  adspicit 
formidulosus,  pars  violentior 
natalis  horae,  seu  tyrannus 
Hesperiae  Capricornus  undae, 


oath  of  allegiance  to  his  com- 
mander, by  which  he  bound  him- 
self to  follow  wherever  he  might 
lead.  —  ibimus,  ibimus  :  the  repe- 
tition marks  Horace's  earnestness. 
Intr.  28a.  —  utcumque  :  temporal, 
as  always  in  Horace.    Cf.  i,  17, 10. 

13 f.  Chimaerae:  cf  n.  to  i,  27, 
23.  —  igneae:  cf  Pindar  O,  13,  90 
)(l.lJua.ipav  TTvp  irvioca-av.  —  si  resur- 
gat :  t'.e.  from  beneath  the  earth  to 
confront  me.  — Gyas  :  like  Briareus 
(//.  I,  401-405)  a  hundred-handed 
giant,  son  of  Uranus  and  Earth. 

15  f .  divellet :  sc.  a  te.  —  lusti- 
tiae: the  Greek  Themis.  —  placi- 
tumque :  for  the  position  of  the 
conjunction,  see  Intr.  31. 

17  ff.  'It  matters  not  what  stars 
presided  over  my  natal  hour,  our 
horoscopes  agree  in  marvelous 
fashion.'  This  reference  to  as- 
trology is  an  indulgence  to  Mae- 
cenas' belief  in  the  art,  for  Horace 
had  no  faith  in  the  muiieri  of  the 
Babylonians  (i,  11).  —  Scorpios 
.  .  .  formidulosus :    the  adjective 


is  apt,  for  under  this  sign  warriors 
were  born.  Cf.  Manil.  4,  220  f 
in  bellum  ardentis  anvnos  et  Mar- 
tia  castra  \  ejfficit  (sc.  Scorpios)  et 
miiltum  gaudentein  sanguine 
civem.  Libra,  however,  gave  a 
more  favorable  destiny.  Cf.  Manil. 
4,  548  felix  aequato  genitns  sub 
ponder e  Librae  I  —  adspicit:  the 
present  is  used  since  astrologers 
taught  that  the  constellation  which 
presided  over  the  child's  birth 
affected  him  through  life.  —  pars 
violentior :  the  member  (any  one 
of  the  three  constellations  named) 
with  greater  power.  —  tyrannus, 
etc. :  the  various  quarters  of  the 
earth  were  assigned  to  the  differ- 
ent signs  of  the  zodiac;  the  sys- 
tem of  astrology  current  in  the 
early  empire  gave  Capricornus 
the  western  part  of  the  world. 
Cf.  Manil.  4,  791  ff.  /«,  Capricorne, 
regis,  quicquid  sub  sole  cadente  \ 
est  positum,  gelidamque  Helicen 
quod  tangit  ab  illo,  \  Hispanas 
genies  et  quot  fert  Gallia  dives. 


CARMINA 


[2,  17.  30 


30 


utrumque  nostrum  incredibili  modo 
consentit  astrum  :  te  lovis  impio 
tutela  Saturno  refulgens 
eripuit  volucrisque  fati 

tardavit  alas,  cum  populus  frequens 
laetum  theatris  ter  crepuit  sonum ; 
me  truncus  inlapsus  cerebro 
sustulerat,  nisi  Faunus  ictum 

dextra  levasset,  Mercurialium 
custos  virorum.     Reddere  victimas 


21  ff.  utrumque,  etc. :  cf.  n.  to  v. 
8  above. — consentit  :  the  passage 
is  imitated  by  Persius  5,  45  f.  non 
eqttidem  hoc  dtibites,  amboriim 
foedere  certo  \  consentire  dies  et 
ab  uno  sidere  duci.  —  te  :  the  con- 
trasted me  follows  v.  27.  'Thou 
art  under  the  protection  of  supreme 
Jove.'  Possibly  in  Maecenas' 
horoscope  Jupiter  was  m  the  as- 
cendant.—  impio  .  .  .  Saturno: 
connect  with  both  refulgens  and 
eripuit.  According  to  the  as- 
trology of  the  time  Saturn's  influ- 
ence was  baneful.  Cf.  Prop.  5,  i, 
84  grave  Saturni  sidus  m  omne 
caput ;  and  our  '  jovial '  and  '  sat- 
urnine.' —  refulgens  :  flashing  out 
against.  Jupiter  offsets  Saturn's 
power  to  harm. 

24.  volucris  :  with  alas.  — fati : 
here  equivalent  to  mortis.  Cf.  6". 
2,  I,  58  sen  tnors  atris  circnmvo- 
lat  alis. 

25  f .  cum  .  .  .  crepuit :  the 
date  was  30  B.C.  Foi  the  occa- 
sion, see  n.  to  i,  20,4.  —  theatris: 


locative  abl. — ter:  a  stock  num- 
ber. Cf.  Prop.  4,  9,  4  Camenae 
.  .  .  manibus  faustos  ter  crepuere 
sonos. 

27  f.  me  truncus,  etc. :  cf.  2, 
13. — sustulerat:  the  indicative 
emphasizes  the  certainty  of  Hor- 
ace's fate  which  was  suddenly 
averted  by  Faunus.     Cf.  3,  16,3. 

28  f.  Faunus  :  the  kindly  wood- 
land spirit,  who  loved  to  visit 
Horace's  farm  and  to  care  for  his 
flocks  (I,  17),  is  named  here  as 
protector.  The  Muses  hold  this 
position  3,  4,  27  ;  Liber  3,  8,  7.  — 
Mercurialium,  etc. :  Mercury  as 
god  of  speech  and  inventor  of  the 
lyre  (3,  11,  i  ff".)  is  here  made  the 
guardian  of  poets.  Ordinarily  the 
phrase  means  the  devotees  of  Mer- 
cury, the  god  of  gain,  as  S.  2,  3, 
24  f.  hortos  egregiasqtie  domes 
mercarier  U7tus  |  cum  liicro  noram: 
unde  frequentia  Merciiriale  \  in- 
posnere  mihi  cognomen  compita. 

30.  reddere :  to  pay.,  because 
the  offering  vowed  is  due  the  gods. 


213 


2,  17,  3»]  HORATI 

aedemque  votivam  memento ; 
nos  humilem  feriemus  agnam. 

Cf.  2,  7,  17  ergo  obligatain  redde  in  their  estate.     So  Horace  says 

Jovidapem.  —  victimas : /.t'.  many  (4.    2,    53    f.)   to   iiis   rich    friend 

large  cattle.  Julius    Antonius   te    decern    tauri 

32.    humilem  .   .   .  agnam :    in  totidetnque  vaccae,  \  me  iener  sol- 

playful  reference  to  the  difference  vet  vitiilus. 


18 

'  No  lordly  pile  or  fortune  great  is  mine,  but  a  kind  poetic  gift,  a 
little  farm,  are  all  that  I  possess.  'Tis  quite  enough  for  me.  But  you, 
though  life  is  insecure,  still  build  your  palaces  and  grudge  the  very 
sea  its  shore  ;  you  drive  your  poor  clients  from  their  homes  that  you 
may  satisfy  your  greed  for  land.  Your  sure  home  is  the  halls  of  Death  ; 
Earth's  doors  open  for  rich  and  poor  alike.  No  bribes  move  the  grim 
ferryman.' 

This  ode  handles  again  Horace's  favorite  theme  —  the  vanity  of 
riches  and  ambition,  the  wisdom  of  the  golden  mean.  The  same  senti- 
ments are  expressed  1,  31  ;  2,  16;  3,  i,  40-48.  24.  i  ff.  As  frequently 
elsewhere  he  takes  his  own  case  as  an  illustration  of  the  ideal  lot,  in 
which  man  is  content  with  his  moderate  estate,  and  contrasts  it  with 
that  of  the  rich  man  whose  greed  defies  the  sacred  laws  of  nature  and 
of  man.  Horace  has  no  individual  in  mind,  but  with  his  fondness  for 
concrete  statement  gives  his  verses  a  dramatic  turn  by  the  direct  form 
of  address.  His  model  may  have  been  a  poem  of  Bacchylides,  Frg.  21 
Bl.  ov  fSouiv  irapcaTL  autfiar^  oure  )(pva6<;,  |  ovre  iroptjivpcoL  TdTnf]T€<;,  \ 
dAAa  Ovfxo^  evp.€vrj^  |  Wovad  re  yXvKtia,  Koi  (3oi(x)Tloi(tiv  \  iv  aKvcfyoiaiv 
oivo<;  T^Sus.  The  date  of  composition  is  uncertain.  Metre  (only  here), 
82. 

Non  ebiir  neque  aureum 

mea  renidet  in  domo  lacunar, 

1-5.    Horace  has  in  mind  the  ebnrnetim ;   ivory  and  gold   were 

splendid  afrm  adorned  with  rare  used   to   adorn   the  panels  {lacu- 

marbles  which  the  rich  had  begun  narid)  of  the  atrium.     Cf.  Lucr. 

to  build  toward  the  end  of  the  Re-  2,  27  f.  nee  domus  argento  fulget 

public.     Cf.    n.    to   2,    15,    20.  —  anroqiie  renidet  \  nee  citharae  re- 

ebur :     equivalent    to    the    prose  boant  laqueata    aiirataque  tecta. 

214 


CARMINA 


[2,  IS,  14 


non  trabes  Hymettiae 

premunt  columnas  ultima  recisas 
Africa,  neque  Attali 

ignotus  heres  regiam  occupavi, 
nee  Laconicas  mihi 

trahunt  honestae  purpuras  clientae  ; 
at  fides  et  ingeni 

benigna  vena  est,  pauperemque  dives 
me  petit :  nihil  supra 

deos  lacesso  nee  potentem  amicum 
largiora  flagito, 

satis  beatus  unicis  Sabinis. 


3  f.  The  architraves  of  this 
splendid  atrium  are  made  of  the 
bluish  white  marble  from  Mt.  Hy- 
mettus ;  the  columns  of  yellow 
giallo  antico  from  Numidia. 

5  f.  •  neque  Attali.  etc.  :  the  in- 
^  heritance  of  great  fortunes  by  per- 
sons not  related  to  the  testator 
was  already  known  in  Horace's 
day.  In  the  following  century 
inheritance  hunting  became  a  busi- 
ness. The  ancient  commentators 
believed  that  Horace  here  ex- 
pressed his  disapproval  of  the  in- 
heritance by  the  Romans  of  King 
Attalus'  wealth  in  1 33  B.C.  Whether 
this  be  true  or  not,  it  is  certain 
that  many  of  the  conservative  Ro- 
mans dated  the  introduction  of 
luxury  and  the  consequent  degen- 
eracy at  Rome  from  this  time.  — 
ignotus :  i.e.  to  the  testator.  The 
heir  has  no  right  to  the  fortune  he 
greedily  seizes. — occupavi:  note 
the  greed  expressed  in  this  word. 


7  f .  '  Nor  am  I  so  rich  that  I  \ 
have  high-born  clients  to  spin  me  I 
robes  dyed  with  the  purple.'  — 
Laconicas  :  the  murex  from  which 
the  purple  dye  was  obtained  was 
found  in  great  abundance  on  the 
shore  of  the  island  Cythera  and 
along  the  Laconian  coast. 

9  f.  at :  marking  the  sharp  | 
transition  to  what  the  poet  does 
possess.  —  benigna  :  kindly.  — ^ 
pauperemque,  etc.  :  instead  of 
going  to  the  rich  man's  house  to 
give  him  the  morning  greeting 
{saltitatio),  Horace  is  visited  in 
his  humble  home  by  the  rich  who 
honor  his  poetic  talent. 

12.    lacesso:  vex  with   my  de- 
mands ;  with   two  accusatives   as 
a  verb  of  asking.  —  amicum:  Mae-, 
cenas,  as  is  shown  by  v.  14. 

14.  satis  beatus  :  enriched 
enotigh  ;  beatus  has  here  an  original 
participial  sense.  Cf.  Epod.  1,31  f. 
satis  siiperqite  me  benignitas  tua  | 


215 


2,  i8,  15] 


HORATI 


IS 


25 


Truditur  dies  die 

novaeque  pergunt  interire  lunae : 
tu  secanda  marmora 

locas  sub  ipsum  funus,  et  sepulcri 
immemor  struis  domos, 

marisque  Bais  obstrepentis  urges 
submovere  litora, 

parum  locuples  continente  ripa. 
Quid^quod  usque  proximos 

revellis  agri  terminos  et  ultra 
limites  clientium 

sails  avarus  ?     Pellitur  paternos 


ditavit.  —  unicis  Sabinis :  my  one 
dear  Sabine  farm.  For  this  mean- 
ing of  unicus,  cf.  3,  14,  5  tifiico 
marito. 

15  ff.  'Time  hurries  on,  and 
yet  you  are  unmindful  of  your  ap- 
proaching end.'  —  truditur  :  cf. 
Epod.  ij,  25  urget  diem  noxet  dies 
noctem,  and  also  Petron.  45  qtiod 
hodie  non  est,  eras  erit:  sic  vita 
truditur.  —  interire:  Intr.  107. 

17  f.  tu:  emphatic,  still  you. 
—  secanda  .  .  .  locas :  a  technical 
expression  for  letting  out  a  con- 
tract ;  the  work  to  be  done  being 
expressed  by  the  gerundive.  —  mar- 
mora :  i.e.  slabs  to  adorn  the  walls. 
Cf.  n.  to  2,  15,  20.  —  sub:  almost 
with  concessive  force,  '  though 
you  are  on  the  very  brink  of.' 

19.  domos:  in  contrast  to  sepul- 
cri, — '  you  should  be  thinking  of 
your  tomb.' 

20  ff.  Bais :  dat.  with  obstrepen- 
tis.    The  town,  situated  about  ten 


miles  northwest  of  Naples,  was  a 
favorite  resort  of  the  Romans  of  this 
time. — urges  submovere:  strive - 
to  push  out.  The  rich  man  is  not 
content  with  the  natural  shore  line, 
but  must  push  out  his  seaside  villa 
into  the  very  sea.  Seneca,  de  tran- 
quil. 3, 7,  uses  the  same  expression 
as  typifying  luxury,  incipiemus  ae- 
dificia  alia  ponere,  alia  subvertere 
et  mare  summovere. — parum:  cf. 
n.  to  I,  12,  59.  —  continente  ripa: 
abl.  abs.,  so  long  as  the  shore  re- 
straints you. 

23  ff.  quid  quod :  a  rhetorical  tran- 
sition to  a  new  point ;  quid  direct- 
ing the  attention  to  the  substantive 
clause  that  follows.  Cf.  Epod.  i, 
5  quid  nos.  —  usque :  still,  used  to 
express  the  continuation  and  repe- 
tition of  the  action.  — revellis:  a 
strong  word  to  express  the  man's 
unscrupulous  greed.  Cf.  salisv.  26. 
The  ordinary  movere,  exarare 
would  be  colorless  here.     To  move 


216 


CARMINA 


[2,  1 8,  36 


30 


35 


in  sinu  ferens  deos 

et  uxor  et  vir  sordidosque  natos. 
Nulla  certior  tamen 

ragacis  Orel  fine  destinata 
aula  divitem  manet 

erum.     Quid  ultra  tendis  ?     Aequa  tellus 
pauperi  recluditur 

regumque  pueris,  nee  satelleg  Orel 
callidum  Promethea 

revexit  auro  captus.     Hie  superbum 


the  boundary  stone  without  war- 
rant was  an  act  of  the  greatest 
impiety.  Cf.  Paul.  p.  368  Niima 
Poinpiliiis  statiiit  eu?n  qui  termi- 
num  exarasset  et  ipsuvi  et  bcrves 
sacros  {accursed)  esse ;  and  Deu- 
teronomy,  27,  17  'Cursed  be  he  that 
removeth  his  neighbour's  land- 
mark.' —  ultra  limites.  etc. :  the  sa- 
cred duty  of  patron  toward  client 
likewise  has  no  weight  with  such  a 
man.  The  laws  of  the  Twelve 
Tables  condemned  the  patron 
who  should  do  his  client  wrong, 

PATRONVS  SI  CLIEXTI  FRAVDEM 
FECERIT,  SACER  ESTO. 

26  ff.  sails :  cf.  revellis  v.  24  and 
I,  3,  24  transiliunt.  Horace  may 
have  seen  an  eviction  like  this  in 
his  own  district. — pellitur:  for 
the  number,  see  Intr.  loi. — pater- 
nos  .  .  .  deos:  the  little  images  of 
his  household  gods  are  all  that  the 
evicted  client  now  possesses.  —  sor- 
didos:  ragged. 

29.  tamen:  "in  spite  of  all  thy 
wealth  and  unrestrained  greed,  no 
palace  is  so  sure  for  thee  as  Orcus' 


hall.'  —  fine  .  .  .  destinata:  to  be 
taken  together  ;  ablative  with  cer- 
tior. It  is  the  end  which  Orcus 
fixes ;  the  Greek  OavdroLo  tcAcvtt/. 
finis  is  feminine  only  here  and 
Epod.  17,  36. 

30.  rapacis  Orci:  the  adjective 
is  emphatic — the  rapacity  of  Orcus 
outdoes  that  of  the  greedy  rich  at 
last. 

31  f.  divitem . . .  erum :  in  sharp 
contrast  to  the  position  which  he 
will  presently  hold.  •  Now  thou 
art  rich  and  lord,  but  in  Orcus' 
home  thy  riches  will  not  help  thee." 
—  ultra :  i.e.  '  strive  to  gain  more 
than  thou  now  possessest.' — ae- 
qua: impartially^  without  distinc- 
tion. Cf.  I,  4.  I3f.  pallida  mors 
aequo  p7ilsat  pede  pauperum  taber- 
nas  I  regumque  turris. 

34  ff .  pueris :  equivalent  iojiliis ; 
for  the  metre,  cf.  Intr.  56.  —  nee 
satelles  Orci,  etc. :  an  attempt  by 
Prometheus  to  bribe  Charon  to 
ferry  him  back  is  referred  to  only 
here.  Cf.  n.  to  2,  13,  37.  —  calli- 
dum: predicate,  /or  all  his  clever- 


217 


2,  1 8,  37] 


HORATI 


40 


Tantalum  atque  Tantali 

genus  coercet,  hie  levare  functum 
pauperem  laboribus 

vocatus  atque  non  vocatus  audit. 


ness;  imitated  from  the  Greek 
aloX6fxr]Ti.<;,  dyKvAo/i.>/TT/5,  epithets 
appHed  to  Prometheus. 

37  ff.  Tantali  genus :  Pelops, 
Atreus,  Agamemnon,  and  Orestes. 
— levare:  Intr.  107.  —  functum... 
laboribus:  dofit?  with  life's  toils. 
Cf.  the  Greek  Qavovra.  mx  ttovwv 
TTCTrav/i.ei'ov. 


40.  Cf.  Aesop's  fable,  '  Death 
and  the  Old  Man,'  and  Suidas  .r.?'. 
KaAoiJ/jtevos "  KttAoi;/u.€vos  «ai  olkXt]- 
Tos  6  6e6<:  irapearai.  Horace  gives 
the  phrase  a  somewhat  different 
turn  in  applying  it  to  the  poor. 
Note  the  oxymoron  in  non  vocatus 
audit.  Cf.  the  opposite  3,  7,  21  f. 
scopulis  surdior  /cari  voces  audit. 


19 

In  dithyrambic  strains  Horace  hymns  the  power  of  Bacchus.  He  pre- 
tends that  he  has  unexpectedly  discovered  the  god  in  a  retired  spot,  and 
then  filled  with  a  divine  frenzy  bursts  into  song,  celebrating  the  deeds 
and  attributes  of  the  divinity  who  has  inspired  him.  Much  of  the  ode 
was  probably  suggested  by  Euripides'  Bacchae.  It  may  be  compared 
with  the  praise  of  Mercury  i,  10;  cf.  also  the  beginning  of  3,  25.  The 
date  of  composition  is  uncertain.     Metre,  68. 

Bacchum  in  remotis  carmina  rupibus 
vidi  docentem,  credite  posteri, 
Nymphasque  discentis  et  auris 
capripedum  Satyrorum  acutas. 


1  f .  remotis  . . .  rupibus :  i.e.  far 
from  the  busy  paths  of  men.  The 
lonely  mountain  tops  are  Bacchus' 
favorite  haunt.  Cf.  Soph.  O.  T. 
1 105  6  BaK;^eios  Of.0%  vaiwv  iv 
aKp(DV  opiwv. — carmina:  hyuiiis, 
dithyrambic  verses  in  his  honor. 

2  ff .  Cf  1,1,31.  —  Nymphas :  who 
nursed  the  infant  Bacchus.  — auris 
. . .  acutas :  the  pricked  ears ;  indi- 


cating the  eagerness  with  which 
they  listen,  rather  than  calling  at- 
tention to  the  shape  of  the  satyrs' 
ears . — capripedum :  the  character- 
istics of  Pan  (T/aayoTTOVs,  alynroSrji. 
T/sayoo-KtAi/s)  and  the  Panisci  are 
here  transferred  to  the  satyrs,  as  by 
Lucretius  4.  580  f.  haec  loca  capri- 
pedes  satyros  nymphasque  tenere  \ 
finitimi  fingnnt. 


218 


CAKMINA 


[2,  19,  12 


Euhoe,  recenti  mens  trepidat  metu 
plenoque  Bacchi  pectore  turbidum 
laetatur ;  euhoe,  parce  Liber, 
parce  gravi  metuende  thyrso ! 

Fas  pervicacis  est  mihi  Thyiadas 
vinique  fontem  lactis  et  uberes 
cantare  rivos  atque  truncis 
lapsa  cavis  iterare  mella  ; 


5  f.  The  sight  of  the  god  has 
filled  the  poet  with  mingled  fear 
and  joy  and  raised  him  to  ecstasy, 
in  which  he  joins  in  the  Bacchanal 
cry  euhoe,  euhoe  (tvoi).  Cf.  2,  1 1, 
17.  —  trepidat:  the  sight  of  a  divin- 
ity was  always  fearful  to  mortals. 
Cf.  //.  20,  131  ^aAeTTOt  Se  deol 
(f>a[ve(rOaL  evapyeis.  —  pleno  . .  .  pec- 
tore :  the  god  possesses  him  fiilly. 
Cf.  3,  25,  I  guo  me,  Bacche,  rapis 
tut  plenum  f  luv.  7,  62  satur  est 
cum  dicit  H or  alius  euoe.  —  turbi- 
dum: accusative  expressing  the 
manner  of  his  joy;  cf.  2,  12.  14 
lucidum  ftilgenlis  oculos. 

7  f.  parce . . .  parce :  in  eager  ap- 
peals to  the  god  to  spare  him  the 
maddening  touch  of  the  thyrsus. 

gravi  metuende  thyrso:  cf.  i,  12, 
2  3  nieliiende  cerla  Phoebe  sagitla . 

9.  fas . . .  est,  etc. :  without  fur- 
ther warning  the  ecstatic  poet  be- 
gins his  song,  for  the  vision  has 
given  him  certain  inspiration. — 
pervicacis :  the  never  tiring,  persis- 
tent. Cf.  Epod.  17.  14  where  the 
adjective  is  applied  to  Achilles.  — 
Thyiadas :  properly  the  women  who 


celebrated  the  opyta  in  honor  of  the 
god;  from  Qvm,  'to  rush  wildly.^ 

10  ff.  Wine,  milk,  and  honey  are 
the  signs  of  Bacchus'  fructifying 
power.  The  verses  were  probably 
suggested  by  Euripides"  Bacchae 
142  f.  pet  8c  yaAaKTi  ttc'Sov.  pet  8' 
otvo),  pet  8€  /xeAto-(rav  1  veKxapi,  also 
706  ff.  a.XKf]  8e  vdpOr)K  es  Tre^ov 
KaOrjKi.  7175,  I  «at  rrjof.  Kprjvrjv  i^- 
avrJK  OLVOv  Oeo'i  •  \  ocrats  8e  XevKov 
7ru)fJiaTO<;  tto^os  iraprjv,  \  aKpoLcn 
oaKTvXoiCTL  ouxixwaai  ^^dva  |  yaA- 
axTos  i(TfjLOv<;  £?;^ov  ex  8e  KLcraLvoiv  | 
$vp(T(x)v  yXvKeiat  /AeAtros  eara^ov 
poai.  *  One  in  earth's  bosom 
planted  her  reed-wand.  |  And  up 
there-through  the  God  a  wine 
fount  sent :  !  And  whoso  fain  would 
drink  white -foaming  draughts,  | 
Scarred  with  their  finger-tips  the 
breasts  of  earth,  j  And  milk  gushed 
forth  unstinted :  dripped  the  while  | 
Sweet  streams  of  honey  from  their 
ivy-staves.'  (Way.)  So  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  were  promised  Exod. 
3,  8  'a good  land  and  a  large  —  a 
land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.' 
—  truncis  .  .  .  mella:    cf  Horace's 


-19 


2,  19,  13] 


HORATI 


15 


fas  et  beatae  coniugis  additum 
stellis  honorem  tectaque  Penthei 
disiecta  non  leni  ruina 

Thracis  et  exitium  Lycurgi. 

Tu  flectis  amnis,  tu  mare  barbarum, 
tu  separatis  uvidus  in  iugis 
nodo  coerces  viperino 

Bistonidum  sine  fraude  crinis. 

Tu,  cum  parentis  regna  per  arduum 
cohors  Gigantum  scanderet  impia, 


picture,  Epod.  16,  47,  of  the  For- 
tunate Isles,  to  which  he  exhorts 
his  countrymen  to  flee,  mella  cava 
manant  ex  ilice.  So  Vergil  says, 
E.  4,  30,  in  naming  the  blessings 
of  the  golden  age  that  is  about 
to  come,  et  durae  quercus  sitda- 
bunt  roscida  mella. — iterare:  a 
variant  on  cantare,  equivalent  to 
narrare. 

13.  coniugis:  Ariadne,  blessed 
(beatae)  by  becoming  Bacchus' 
consort.  —  additum  .  .  .  honorem  : 
her  crown,  the  wedding  gift  of  Ve- 
nus, was  set  among  the  constella- 
tions.—Penthei:  king  of  Thebes, 
who  tried  to  hinder  the  Theban 
women  in  their  worship,  but  was 
torn  in  pieces  by  them ;  and  his 
palace  was  overthrown  by  an  earth- 
quake. His  death  and  the  atten- 
dant disasters  form  the  subject  of 
Euripides'  Bacchae.  —  Thracis  .  .  . 
Lycurgi:  who  drove  from  Thrace 
Bacchus  and  his  nurse,  but  was 
punished  with  blindness  and  early 
death. 


17.  tu  .  .  .  tu  .  .  .  tu:  the  triple 
anaphora  indicates  the  poet's  rising 
ardor  and  forms  a  climax  to  fas . . . 
fas...  above.  The  god's  power 
extends  over  all  nature.  Horace 
probably  refers  to  the  story  of  Bac- 
chus' Indian  travels,  for  Nonnus  12, 
123  ff.  says  that  at  the  touch  of  his 
thyrsus  the  Hydaspes  and  Orontes 
retreated,  and  let  him  pass  dry 
shod. — flectis:  i.e.  'by  thy  com- 
mand.'— mare  barbarum :  the  Per- 
sian Gulf  Cf.  Sen.  H.  F.  903  adsit 
Lycurgi  dotnitor  et  rubri  maris. 

18 ff.  separatis:  equivalent  to 
remotis,  v.  i .  —  uvidus :  i.e.  madi- 
dus,  I3pex0€i<;,  with  wine.  Cf.  i,  7, 
22  7/da  Lyaeo  tempora.  —  Bistoni- 
dum: Thracian  maenads  who  join  in 
the  bacchanal  rout.  —  sine  fraude: 
wit  hold  Jiarining  them,  archaic  for 
sine  noxa.  Cf.  C.  S.  41  ff.  cui  per 
ardentetn  sine  fraude  Troiam  \ 
castus  Aeneas  . . .  munivit  iter. 

21  ff.  tu:  more  effective  than  a 
conjunction.  Intr.  29.  —  cum  pa- 
rentis, etc. :   according  to  a  post- 


CARMINA 


[2,  19.  32 


Rhoetum  retorsisti  leonis 
unguibus  horribilique  mala, 

25  quamquam  choreis  aptior  et  iocis 

ludoque  dictus  non  sat  idoneus 
pugnae  ferebaris  ;  sed  idem 
pacis  eras  mediusque  belli. 

Te  vidit  insons  Cerberus  aureo 
30  cornu  decorum,  leniter  atterens 

caudam,  et  recedentis  trilingui 
ore  pedes  tetigitque  crura. 


Hesiodic  myth  Bacchus,  with  Her- 
cules, gave  victory  to  the  gods  in 
their  battle  against  the  giants  in 
the  Phlegraean  fields.  The  story 
of  this  attempt  by  the  giants  to 
storm  heaven  was  confused  with 
the  older  one  of  the  Titans,  if  in- 
deed it  did  not  owe  its  origin  to 
it.  —  retorsisti:  alliterative  with 
Rhoetum,  expressing  the  force  with 
which  the  giant  was  thrown  back. 
— leonis :  the  god  took  on  the  lion's 
form,  as  when  he  was  beset  by 
pirates,  who  tried  to  make  him 
captive.     Honi.  Hymn  7,  44. 

25  ff.  Bacchus'  double  nature 
often  appears.  —  quamquam:  cor- 
rective, and  yet,  with  ferebaris. — 
choreis . . .  dictus  :  sc.  a  diis,  giving 
the  reason  for  the  gods'  disbelief  in 
his  prowess.  —  sed  idem:  still  thou 
•wast  the  same.  —  mediusque :  for 


the  position  of  -que,  see  Intr.  31 

—  belli:  with  medius,  the  earliest 
example  of  this  construction  imi- 
tated from  the  Greek.  It  was  em- 
ployed by  later  poets,  e.g.  Ovid. 
Met.  6,  409  qui  locus  est  iugtili 
fuedius  suiiunigue  lacerti. 

29 ff.  te  vidit,  etc.:  when  Bac- 
chus descended  to  Hades  to  bring 
back  his  mother  Semele. — te:  cf. 
n.  on  tu  V.  21 .  —  insons :  predicate, 
and  did  no  harm  to  thee. — aureo 
cornu,  etc. :  the  Greek  ;^/Di;(T6Kepcos, 
K£pao-<^d/30s.  Here  the  golden 
drinking-horn  is  meant,  rather  than 
the  horn  as  an  emblem  of  power. 

—  atterens :  wagging.  —  recedentis : 
as  thou  withdre-cuest ;  opposed  to 
the  god's  entrance,  implied  in  te 
vidit. — trilingui ;  cf.  2, 13, 34  where 
Cerberus  is  centiceps.  — tetigitque : 
Intr.  31. 


221 


2,  20,  I]  HORATI 


20 


In  an  allegory  Horace  prophesies  his  own  immortality.  He  is  not  to 
die,  but  shall  be  transformed  into  a  swan  and  fly  from  the  Stygian  wave 
to  the  confines  of  the  world.  His  description  of  the  change  which  he 
feels  coming  on  him  is  given  in  such  detail  (9-12)  as  to  rob  the  poem,  for 
the  modern  reader  at  least,  of  much  of  the  charm  that  it  would  otherwise 
possess.  The  identification  of  the  poet's  song  with  the  flight  of  a  bird 
was  common  in  antiquity,  as  it  is  to-day.  Cf.  e.g.  Theog.  237  ff".,  1097  f.  ; 
Pind.  TV.  6,  47  ff".  ;   Eurip.  Frg.  911  N.  ;  Theoc.  7,  47. 

Apparently  Horace  wrote  this  ode  after  his  collection  in  three  books 
was  practically  complete,  intending  it  as  an  epilogue  to  his  lyric  verse. 
Fortunately  his  second  attempt,  which  now  stands  at  the  end  of  the  third 
book,  was  far  superior,  so  that  he  relegated  these  verses  to  their  present 
position.     Metre,  68. 

Non  usitata  nee  tenui  ferar 
penna  biformis  per  liquidum  aethera 
vates,  neque  in  terris  morabor 
longius,  invidiaque  maior 

5  urbis  relinquam.      N.oji_ego  pauperum 

sanguis  parentum,  non  ego  quern  vocas, 

iff.  non  usitata,  etc. :  no  ordi-  Nisiis. — ^  vates:  in  its  original  sense 

nary  or  weak ',  for  his  verse  was  in  oi inspired  bard.     Cf.  n.  to  i,  i,  35. 
new  forms  and  his  poetic  gift  was  4.    invidia   maior:   the    phrase 

great.  —  biformis:  in  a  literal  sense,  may  have  been  borrowed  from  the 

both  bard  and  bird.     The  famili-  Greek.     Cf.  Callim.  Epigr.  21,40 

arity  of  the  ancients  with  the  idea  8'  ^eicrev  Kpia-aova  fSaa-Kavtr)^.     In 

of  combining   human   forms   with  his  earlier  years,  before  his  position 

those  of  beasts,  e.g.  the   centaur,  as  lyric  poet  was  established,  Hor- 

minotaur  (called  biformis  Verg.  A.  ace  suffered  from  the  jibes  of  those 

6.  25)  no  doubt  gave  them  a  diff"er-  who  envied  him  Maecenas'  favor, 

ent  feeling  for    Horace's   concept  Cf.  S.  i,  6.  46 f.  quevi  rodunt  oni- 

than  we  can  possibly  have.     Por-  nes  libertino  patre  natum,  |  nunc 

phyrio   too    subtly   interprets   the  quia  sivt  tibi,  Maecenas,,  convictor. 

adjective  to   mean  writer  in  both  When  his  fame  was  certain  he  took 

hexameter   and   lyric   measure. —  no  little  satisfaction   in   scorning 

liquidum:  f/^«r,  as  Verg.  6^.  i,  404  those  who  once  scorned  him.     Cf 

apparet  liquido  sublimis  in   aere  2.  16.  39  f. 


CARMINA 


[2,  20,  16 


dilecte  Maecenas,  obibo. 
nee  Stygia  cohibebor  unda. 

lam  iam  residunt  cruribus  asperae 
pelles  et  album  mutor  in  alitem 
superne  nascunturque  leves 
per  digitos  umerosque  plumae. 

Iam  Daedaleo  notior  Icaro 
visam  gertientis  litora  Bospori 
Syrtisque  Gaetulas  canorus 
ales  Hyperboreosque  carapos. 


5  f .  urbis :  the  plural  is  more 
effective  than  the  simple  terrain 
would  have  been.  —  non  ego  . . .  non 
ego:  intensive;  Intr.  28c. — pau- 
perum  sanguis  parentum:  Horace 
never  was  ashamed  of  his  low  birth, 
but  took  a  pardonable  pride  in  his 
success  in  raising  himself  to  an 
honored  position  by  his  own  merits. 
—  vocas:  itivitest. 

9ff.  These  —  to  us  certainly  — 
tasteless  verses  may  have  been 
suggested  by  Eurip.  Frg.  911  N. 
Xpwo-£at  8t;  yu.ot  TTTcpuyes  irtpi  vwtw  \ 
Kai  Ta  auprjvwv  TrrepoevTa  Trc'StXa 
[apfio^crat] .  |  f^dcrofjuiL  t  eh  alOi- 
pLOv  TToAov  dpOtU  I  ZrjvL  Trpoor/xetf (DV. 
'Golden  winds  are  fastened  on  my 
back  and  I  have  on  the  Sirens' 
winged  sandals.  I  shall  go  aloft 
to  the  aethereal  sky  to  be  with 
Zeus.'  But  Horace  has  gone  far 
beyond  his  model.  —  iam  iam:  cf. 
Epod.  17,  I.— cruribus:  abl.  of 
place.  —  asperae  pelles:  the  horny 
skin  of  the  bird's  legs  and  claws 
into  which  his  human  skin  is  set- 


tling.—  superng  :  with  short  ultima 
as  in  Lucretius  and  Epist.  2,  3,  4. 

II.  leves:  in  contrast  to  cj/^rai?. 

13  f.  iam:  presently.  —  notior 
Icaro :  who  gave  his  name  to  a  sea. 
Cf.  Ovid.  Fasti  4,  283  f.  {mare} 
/carinni,  lapsas  7ibi  perdidit  alas  | 
/cams  et  vastae  nomina  fecit  aquae. 
—  visam,  etc.:  'my  fame  will  ex- 
tend to  the  limits  of  1:he  world.'  — 
gementis:  cf.Verg.  A.  5,  806  cum 
. . .  gemeretit  repleti amnes.  Soph . 
Antig.  592  oTovai  ^pepiovaL  S'avn- 
TrA^yes  ctKrat'.  Tennyson,  /n  Mem. 
35  'the  moanings  of  the  homeless 
sea.' 

15  f.  canorus  ales :  the  swans  are 
called  by  Callimachus  Hymn,  in 
Del.  252  Movo-awv  opviOti;,  doL^ora- 
TOL  TreTerjvw.  Vergil  E.  9,  29  says 
to  his  friend.  Fare,  tuum  nomen. 
.  .  .  cantantes  sublime  ferent  ad  si- 
deracycni.  —  Hyperboreos :  beyond 
the  North  Wind  was  a  mythical 
folk  said  to  live  in  unbroken  peace 
and  happiness.  But  Horace  means 
onlv  the  distant  North. 


223 


2,  20,    17] 


HORATI   CARMINA 


Me  Colchus  et  qui  dissimulat  metum 
Marsae  cohortis  Dacus  et  ultimi 
noscent  Geloni,  me  peritus 

discet  Hiber  Rhodanique  potor. 

Absint  inani  funere  neniae 
luctusque  turpes  et  querimoniae  ; 
compesce  clamorem  ac  sepulcri 
mitte  supervacuos  honores. 


17  f.  '  The  barbarous  peoples  in 
the  East  shall  learn  to  know  my 
works  as  well  as  the  Romanized 
Spaniard  and  Gaul.'  —  me:  cf.  n. 
to  2,  I  g,  2 1 .  —  Marsae  cohortis :  the 
Marsi  were  one  of  the  bravest  Ital- 
ian peoples.     Cf.  n.  to  I,  2,  39. 

19 f.  Geloni:  cf.  n.  to  2,  9,  23. — 
peritus  Hiber,  etc.:  that  Spain  and 
Gaul  had  made  great  advances  in 
Roman  civilization  in  Horace's  day 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  the  first 
century  a.d.  the  former  country  fur- 
nished Rome  with  her  most  prom- 
inent writers  —  the  two  Senecas, 
Lucan,  probably  Valerius  Flaccus, 
Columella,  Mela,  Quintilian,  Mar- 
tial, and  others ;  the  latter  prov- 
ince with  orators  and  rhetoricians. 
—  Rhodani  potor:  cf.  3,  10,  i  ex- 
tiemum  Tanaitt  si  biberes,  Lyce, 
and  //.  2,  825  TTtVovTc?  uSwp  /xeXav 
Al(TrJTroio,  Tptocv.     The  circumlo- 


cution is  frequently  employed  by 
Apoll.  Sid.  e,g.  Epist.  4,  17  potor 
Mosellae. 

21  ff.  Possibly  suggested  by  En- 
nius'  famous  epitaph,  iiejiio  me  da- 
crwnis  decoret  nee  funera  flein  \ 
faxit.  cur?  volito  vivos  per  era 
vinim. — inani:  for  the  poet  will 
have  flown  away.  —  neniae :  the 
mourning  chants  sung  over  the 
dead  by  women  hired  for  that  pur- 
pose {praejicae).  —  luctus  turpes: 
disfiguring  grief,  such  as  tearing 
the  hair,  scratching  the  cheeks,  and 
beating  the  breast. 

23  f.  clamorem:  t\\Q conclatnatio. 
the  last  call  to  the  dead.  It  appar- 
ently consisted  of  a  repetition  of 
the  dead  man's  name.  —  superva- 
cuos :  for  the  tomb  will  not  contain 
the  poet's  body,  and  his  verse  will 
be  his  lasting  memorial,  a  monjt- 
vienium  aere  perennius. 


224 


LIBER   TERTIVS 

The  first  six  odes  of  this  book,  addressed  to  all  patriotic  citizens,  art 
distinguished  by  a  unity  of  purpose  and  a  seriousness  of  tone  not  found 
elsewhere  in  Horace.  The  fact  that  all  are  in  the  Alcaic  ijieasure  also 
contrasts  them  with  other  groups  of  his  lyric  poems,  and  proves  that  he 
has  a  particular  purpose  in  mind :  he  wishes  to  show  that  mere  riches 
and  power  are  vain  ;  that  only  by  a  return  to  the  stern  virtues  and  simple 
habits  of  an  earlier  day  can  Rome  regain  her  greatness;  and  that  the 
present  disregard  of  religion  and  of  domestic  virtue  is  the  gravest  dan- 
ger that  threatens  the  future.  It  is  remarkable  that  after  expressing  in 
the  third  and  fourth  odes  confidence  in  Caesars  rule  and  the  permanence 
of  the  Roman  State,  Horace  closes  his  sixth  ode  with  gloomy  forebod- 
ings,—  'each  generation  is  worse  than  the  last,  and  our  children  will  be 
baser  than  we.'  The  most  probable  explanation  of  this  is  that  the  sixth 
ode  was  written  while  Horace  felt  a  certain  despair  for  the  future ;  in 
arranging  his  lyrics  for  publication  he  let  these  expressions  stand,  in  the 
hope  that  they  might  rouse  his  audience  by  their  very  gloom. 

The  unity  of  the  six  is  so  marked  that  Porphyrio  regarded  them  as  a 
single  ode  —  multiplex  ((^Brj)  per  varios  deduct  a  est  sensus.  Yet  the 
entire  collection  was  probably  not  written  at  the  same  time.  The  sixth 
ode  is  apparently  the  earliest,  composed  after  Octavian's  acceptance  of 
the  censorial  power  (28  B.C.)  ;  the  third  was  written  after  January,  27 
B.C.,  as  the  name  Augustus  (v.  11)  shows ;  and  the  mention  of  the  pro- 
jected conquest  of  Britain  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  seems  to  refer  them  to 
27-26  B.C. 


I 


K 


The  opening  strophe  of  the  first  ode  serves  as  introduction  to  the 
entire  group.  In  exalted  tone  Horace  announces  that  he,  as  sacred 
priest  of  the  Muses,  will  sing  to  the  rising  generations  the  Muses'  teach- 
ings in  strains  never  heard  before.  He  then  shows  that  the  powerful 
and  the  rich  are  alike  subject  to  Necessity's  impartial  rule  (5-16).  'Lux- 
ury will  not  bring  gentle  sleep;  only  they  whose  wants  are  few  have 
easy  spirits ;  the  great  owner  cannot  escape  Fear,  Threats,  and  black 
HOR.  CAR.  —  15  225 


3.  I,  I] 


HORATI 


Care  (17-40).  If  then  all  that  wealth  can  buy  fails  to  ease  the  anxious 
spirit,  why  should  I  exchange jny  l^uinble  happy  lot  for  one  that  brings 
only  burdens  with  it  (41-48)."  "KFetre, 

Odi  profanumN 

Favete  Unguis  I''  Carmina  non  prius 
aijdita  Musarum  sacerdos 
virginibus  puerisque  canto. 

5  Regum  timendorum  in  proprios  greges, 

reges  in  ipsos  imperium  est  lovis, 


I  f.  Like  a  priest  about  to  begin 
sacrifice,  Horace  bids  the  uniniti- 
ate,  profanum  volgus,  withdraw. 
Cf.  Callim.  Hytun.  in  Apoll.  2  eKas, 
eKas,  ooTts  dXtrpos  {profa/iiis)  ; 
Verg.  A.  6,  258  procitl  o,  procul 
este,  prof  am.  By  profanum  volgus 
Horace  means  those  who  have  not 
heard,  and  will  not  listen  to,  the 
teachings  of  the  Muses,  whose  sa- 
cred priest  he  is.  —  favete  Unguis: 
the  solemn  call  for  holy  silence,  the 
Cxreek  ev<f>r)fJi(XT€.  Cf.  Ovid,  /^ast/ 
I.  71  Unguis  aniviisq lie  favete. — 
carmina,  etc. :  hymps  of  new  and 
deeper  meaning  than  have  been 
simg  before.  Many  commenta- 
tors wish  to  see  here  a  reference 
primarily  to  the  new  form,  the 
Alcaic  measure  in  didactic  verse 
(cf.  2,  20,  I  ;  3,  30,  13  and  nn.)  ; 
but  Horace  has  a  more  serious 
intention. 

3  f .  Musarum  sacerdos :  poets  are 
the  inspired  interpreters  of  the 
Muses'  will.  Cf.  Theoc  16,  29 
Morcrawv  §€  ixdkuTTa  tuiv  Upoi»? 
woc^T^ra?.     '  To  honor  most  of  all 


the  sacred  interpreters  of  the  Mu- 
ses'; likewise  Ovid.  Am.  3,  8,  23 
i//e  ego  MnsaruDi  pur  us  Fhoebique 
sacerdos.  Horace  claims  that  his 
sacred  office  gives  him  a  right  to 
speak  with  authority.  —  virginibus 
puerisque :  i.e.  the  rising  genera- 
tion, on  whom  the  state's  whole 
hope  depends. 

Sf.  regum  timendorum:  modi- 
fying imperium  of  the  next  verse  — 
'  Kings  rule  their  peoples,  but  are 
themselves  the  subjects  of  Jove.' 
The  expression  seems  almost  pro- 
verbial. Cf.  Philemon  Frg.  31.4. 
SoDAoi  fia<TtX.€wv  elatv.  6  ^aaiAevs 
Oe<j>v.  —  in:  ^7/^;',  showing  the  di- 
rection in  which  their  rule  is  exer- 
cised. Cf.  4,  4,  2  f.  cui  rex  dcoriim 
regnuni  in  avis  vagas  \  perviisit. 
—  greges:  herds,  a  contemptuous 
word,  fitting  regum  timendorum. 
which  would  call  up  to  the  Roman 
mind  the  thought  of  absolute  ty- 
rants, whose  subjects  were  mere 
cattle.  Notice  the  chiastic  order  in 
these  and  the  two  following  verses. 
Intr.  21. 


226 


CARMINA 


[3.  I.  i6 


'5 


clari  Giganteo  triumpho, 
cuncta  supercilio  moventis. 

Est  ut  viro  vir  latius  ordinet 
arbus^a  suleis,  hie  generosior 
descendaPin  Campum  petitor, 
moribus  hie  meliorquc  fama 

contenda,t,  illi  turba  elientium 
sit  maior  :  aequa  lege  Necessitas 
sortitur  insignis  et  imos, 

omne  capax  movet  urna  nomen. 


7  f .  clari :  who  is  glorious  for .  — 
Giganteo :  cf.  2,  1 2,  7  f. ;  1 9,  2 1  f.  — 
supercilio  moventis :  a  reminiscence 
of//.  I,  528ff.  T]  Kox  KvavirjOTLv  ctt' 
6<^pv(TL  vei'cre  K/aovtwv  ■  |  ajxfip6(nai 
8'  apa  )(aLTai  irreppwaavTo  dvaK- 
Tos  I  KpaTo'i  OLTT  aOavdroLO  ■  fxeyav 
8' eAeXt^ev  *OAv/i.7rov.  Cf.  Verg.  ^. 
g,  106  adniiit,  et  tot  tun  nut  11  ir one- 
fecit  Olyuipuin. 

gff.  '  Men  may  differ  in  wealth, 
birth,  reputation,  and  number  of 
followers  —  Necessity  levels  all.'  — 
est  ut :  it  is  true  that.  The  sub- 
jects of  est  are  the  substantive 
clauses  which  follow,  ut . . .  ordinet, 
.  .  .  descendat, .  .  .  contendat. . . .  sit. 
—  viro  vir:  one.  another;  cf.  Verg. 
A.  10,  361  haeret  pede  pes  densus- 
que  viro  vir.  —  latius :  i.e.  over  a 
larger  estate. — arbusta:  trees  on 
which  vines  could  be  trained. — 
suleis :  abl.  with  ordinet ;  furrows, 
nade  to  mark  the  rows  {or dines) 
if  trees.  —  generosior :  nobler  born. 

II  f.  descendat:  either  literally. 
Miice  the  nobility  lived  on  the  hills 


(cf.  Cic.  Phil.  2,  6  hodie  non  descen- 
dit  Antonius)  :  or  metaphorically 
of  entering  a  contest,  as  Cic.  Tusc. 
2,  26  descender  e  in  cert  amen.  — 
campum:  the  Campus  Martius,  in 
which  the  elections  were  held.  — 
meliorque :  for  the  position  of  -que. 
see  Intr.  31. 

13  f.  turba  elientium:  i.e.  at  the 
morning  salutation  and  in  his  train 
when  the  great  man  walks  abroad. 
The  number  of  such  attendants 
showed  their  patron's  power. — 
aequa  lege  :  emphatically  placed  — 
'  all  in  vain,  for  with  impartial  rule.' 
Cf.  I,  4,  13  aequo  pede;  2,  18,  32 
aequa  tellus. 

15  f.  sortitur :  allots  the  fate  of. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  3,  375  f.  sic  fata  deuni 
rex  I  sortitur.  —  insignis,  etc. :  cf. 
I,  34,  12  f.  valet  inia  sunwiis  \  mu- 
tare  et  insignem  attenuat  detts.  — 
omne,  etc. :  cf.  2,  3,  25  ff.  omnium  \ 
versatur  urna  serius  ocrus  |  sors 
exitura,  and  the  explanation  there 
given  of  the  ancient  method  of 
'casting  lots.'  —  movet:  shakes. 


227 


25 


HORATI 

Destrictus  ensis  |cui  super|impia 
cervice  pendet,  non  Siculae  dapes 
dulcem  elaborabunt  saporem, 
non  avium  citharaeque  cantus 

somnura  reducent ;  somnus  agrestium 
lenis  virorum  non  humilis  domos 
fastidit  umbrosamque  ripam, 
non  zephyris  agitata  tempe. 

Desiderantem  quod  satis  est  neque 
tumultuosum  sollicitat  mare 


17 f.  destrictus  ensis,  etc.:  the 
reference  is  to  the  familiar  story  of 
the  sword  of  Damocles,  told  by  Cic. 
Tusc.  5,  61.  It  here  typifies  the 
uneasy  conscience  and  ever-pres- 
ent fear  of  death  that  threaten  the 
wicked;  hence  impia  cervice. — cui: 
equivalent  to  ei ciii.  —  Siculae:  the 
Sicilians  were  proverbially  luxu- 
rious, and  the  adjective  is  especially 
appropriate  in  connection  with  the 
reference  to  Damocles.  Note  that 
dapes  is  by  its  position  contrasted 
with  impia  —  'No  rich  banquets 
can  offset  the  tyrant's  wickedness.' 

1 9 f .  elaborabunt :  produce,  when 
his  natural  appetite  is  gone.  For 
the  prepositional  prefix,  cf.  n.  to  i, 
5,8. — avium:  aviaries  were  com- 
mon in  houses  of  the  rich  in  Hor- 
ace's day.  —  citharaeque  cantus :  we 
are  told  by  Seneca,  De  Prov.  3,  10 
that  Maecenas,  who  suffered  from 
insomnia,  tried  to  allure  sleep  by 
soft  and  distant  music,  but  natu- 
rally Horace  is  not  here  referring 
to  his  patron. 


21  f.  reducent :  bring  back,  when 
it  has  fled.  —  somnus  :  note  the  ef- 
fect of  the  repetition.- — agrestium 
.  . .  virorum  :  belonging  grammati- 
cally to  somnus  lenis,  but  felt  also 
with  domos.  The  simple  farmers 
with  their  lowly  homes,  the  mur- 
mur of  the  breezes  in  pleasant  val- 
leys, are  here  contrasted  with  the 
rich  man's  palace,  its  aviaries  and 
instrumental  music.  The  sleep  of 
the  poor  is  proverbially  sweet.  Cf. 
Epist.  I,  7,  35  somnum plebis  laudo. 
Also,  Ecclesiastes  5,  12  'The sleep 
of  a  labouring  man  is  sweet . . . ;  but 
the  abundance  of  the  rich  will  not 
suffer  him  to  sleep.' 

23  f .  Cf.  Epod.  2,  25-28  labiin- 
tiir  altis  interim  ripis  aquae,  \  que- 
runiur  in  silvis  aves,  \  frondesqite 
lytnphis  obstrepunt  inanantibus  \ 
soDinos  quod  invitet  levis. — tempe : 
used  here  for  any  shady  valley.  Cf. 
n.  to  I,  7,  4. 

25ff.  desiderantem,  etc.:  'the 
man  who  longs  simply  for  enough 
to   satisfy  Nature's  demands  will 


228 


CARMINA 


[3.  I.  38 


nec  saevos  Arcturi  cadentis 
impetus  aut  orientis  Haedi, 

non  verberatae  grandine  vineae 
30  fundusque  mendax,  arboreTiunc  aquas 

culpante,  nunc  torrentia  agros 
sidera,  nunc  hiemes  iniquas. 

Contracta  pisces  aequora  sentiunt 
iactis  in  altum  molibus  ;  hue  frequens 
;5  caementa  demittit  redemptor 

cum  f amulis'  dominusque  terrae 

f  astidiosus  :  sed  timor  et  minae 
scandunt  eodem  quo  dominus,  neque 


not  be  distressed  by  the  chances 
of  winds  and  floods.'  Cf.  3,  16, 
43  f.  bene  est,  cid  deus  obtiilit  \  parca 
quod  satis  est  iiiatiu.  —  neque  tu- 
multuosum,  etc.  :  cf.  Epod.  2,  6 
neque  horret  iratum  mare. 

27  f.  saevos . . .  impetus  :  the  sav- 
age onset  of  Arcturus  as  he  sets. . 
The  time  is  the  stormy  month  of 
October.  —  Haedi  :  regularly  ac- 
companied by  rain.  Cf.  Verg.  A. 
9.  668  f.  quatitus  ab  occasic  veiiiens 
pluvialibus  Haedis  \  verberat  iin- 
^^er  hurnuui. 

29  ff .  non  .  .  .  que  :  continuing 
the  nec  of  v.  27.  —  verberatae  gran- 
dine vineae :  the  lashing  of  his  vine- 
yards by  the  hail.  — mendax  :  the 
Mrm  is  personified,  —  it  promised 
well,  but  has  failed  to  keep  its 
word.  For  similar  personification, 
cf.  3,  16, 30  segetis  cert  a  fides  vieae; 
Epist.  I,  7,  87  speui  i/ientita  seges. 
—  arbore  culpante  :  continuing  the 


personification.  The  (olive)  tree 
excuses  its  failure  by  throwing  the 
blame  now  on  the  excess  of  rain,  now 
on  the  drought,  and  again  on  the 
cruel  winters.  —  sidera:  especially 
the  Dog-star,  which  holds  sway  dur- 
ing the  hottest  season.  Cf.  1, 17.  17. 

33  f .  contracta  pisces  :  note  the 
emphasis  of  position  —  '  the  fish 
feel  the  narrowing  of  the  main  as 
the  greedy  rich  man  pushes  his 
villa  marina  out  into  the  very  sea.' 
Cf.  2,  18,  19-22  and  n. ;  3,  24,  3  f. 
Also  ApoU.  Sid.  Carm.  2,  57  itur 
in  aequor  \  fnolibus,  et  veteres  tellus 
nova  contrahit  undas.  —  molibus  : 
masses  of  stone. — hue:  i e.  in  al- 
tujH.  —  frequens  .  .  .  redemptor : 
vmny  a  contractor. 

36.  terrae:  obj.  gen.  with  fas- 
tidiosus.  Cf.  2,  18,  22  parutn  lo- 
cuples  continente  ripa. 

37fE.  'No  place  is  so  secluded, 
no  ship  or  horse  so  swift,  that  man 


229 


3.  I.  39] 


HORATI 


40 


45 


decedit  aerata  triremi  et 

post  equitem  sedet  atra  Cura. 

Quod  si  dolentem/iiec  Phrygius  lagis 
nee  purpurarum  sidere  clarior 
de]enit  usus  nee  Falerna 

vitis  Achaemeniumque  costum, 

eur  invidendis  postibus  et  novo 
sublime  ritu  moliar  atrium  ? 
Cur  valle  permutem  Sabina 
divitias  operosiores  ? 


can  escape  his  own  self.'  —  minae: 
the  threatening  specters  called  up 
by  the  uneasy  imagination  of  the 
rich,  over  whose  heads  (metaphor- 
ically) a  drawn  sword  hangs ;  cf. 
17  {.  With  this  strophe,  cf.  2,  16, 
21-24  and  n.  Also  S.  2,  7,  115 
fnistra:  nani  comes  atra  premit 
seqidturque  fugacem.  —  triremi  : 
here  a  private  yacht.  Cf.  that  of 
Verres,  Cic.  Verr.  5,  44,  iiavem 
vero  cybaeavi,  maxiviam,  trtreinis 
instar. 

41  ff.  quod  si :  Horace  sums  up 
all  that  precedes,  as  frequently, 
with  a  personal  application  to  him- 
self, thus  making  the  point  he  is 
urging  more  concrete  and  forceful. 
—  dolentem :  a  man  distressed  (in 
mind  or  body). — Phrygius  lapis: 
a  costly  marble  with  purple  and 
violet  workings,  brought  from  Syn- 
nada,  in  Phrygia,  and  used  for  col- 
umns. —  purpurarum,  etc. :  nor  the 


wearing  of  purple  brighter  than 
the  stars.  Cf.  //.  6,  295  (of  the 
robe  to  be  offered  to  Athena) 
acrrrjp  8'  ws  aireXafiTTtv. — clarior  : 
a  'transferred'  epithet.     Intr.  99. 

44.  Achaemenium:  i.e.  Persian, 
used  for  Oriental  in  general.  Cf. 
n.  to  2,  12,  21. 

45  f .  invidendis :  that  ronse  envy. 
Cf.  2,  10,  7  f.  caret  invidenda  \  so- 
brius  aula. — novo  ritu:  in  the  neiv 
style.  Cf.  n.  to  2,  1 5,  20.  —  moliar : 
laboriously  build,  expressive  of  the 
size  of  the  undertaking.  Cf.  moli- 
bjis  V.  34.  So  a  palace  is  called 
(2,  15,  2  ;  3.  29.  10)  moles,  'a  pile.' 
—  sublime  .  .  .  atrium:  i.e.  adorned 
with  lofty  columns.  Cf.  2,  18,  4 
and  n. 

47  f .  cur :  the  anaphora  marks 
Horace's  impatience  at  the  folly  of 
such  a  proposal.  —  valle  .  .  .  Sa- 
bina :  Horace's  dearest  possession. 
Intr.  5. 


230 


C  ARM  IN  A  [  3,  2,  8 


After  showing  in  the  first  ode  the  vanity  of  power  and  riches,  Horace 
here  takes  up  a  positive  theme. 

•  Content  with  small  estate  the  Roman  youth  should  learn  courage 
in  the  stern  school  of  war,  that  he  may  fight  for  Rome  and  die  for  her 
if  need  be ;  death  for  one's  native  land  is  sweet  and  glorious ;  and  the 
coward  may  not  escape  the  common  fate  (i-i6).  True  manhood  is 
secure  and  independent  of  popular  favor ;  it  alone  gives  immortality 
(17-24).  Fidelity  and  silence  too  have  their  secure  reward.  The 
wicked  punishment  sooner  or  later  overtakes  (25-32).'     Metre,  68. 

Angustam  amice  pauperiem  pati 
robustus  acri  militia  puer 
condiscat,  et  Parthos  ferocis 
vexet  eques  metuendus  hasta, 

5  vitamque  sub  divo  et  trepidis  agat 

in  rebus ;  ilium  ex  moenibus  hosticis 
matrona  bellantis  tyranni 
prospiciens  et  adulta  virgo 

I.   This  verse  forms  the  transi-  2,  3,  23,  and  sub  divum  i,  18, 13.  — 

tion  from  the  theme  of  the  pre-  trepidis  in  rebus :  atnidst  (war's) 

ceding  ode.  —  angustam:  narrow,  alar7ns. 

straitened,   as   2,    10,  21   f.  rebus  6  ff.    The  description  may  have 

angustis    animostis    atque  \  fortis  been  suggested  by  Briseis'  lament 

appare.  —  amice    .    .    .    pati:    to  II.  ig,  291  f.  avhpa  /xtv,  <S  eSoadr 

bear  gladly,  to  welcome,  stronger  /xe     Trarrjp     kol     TroTvia    fJirJT-qp. 

than  the  common  lente,  niolliter  eiSov  Trpo  tttoXios  8e8aLyf/.evov  6$  i 

ferre.  yaXKia,  or  by  book  22  where  Hec- 

2  ff.  robustus  acri.  etc.  :  har-  tor  is  killed  and  dragged  awa\ 
dened in  war'' s fierce  sdiool ;  predi-  before  the  eyes  of  his  parents  and 
cate  following  pati.  and  like  metu-  wife.  Cf.  also  //.  3,  154  ff.,  and 
endus  below  logically  part  of  the  Verg.  A.  11,475  ^-  —  ilium:  em- 
prayer  -may  he  be  trained  and  phatic  —  such  a  Roman.  —  tyranni: 
learn,  ...  be  fearful  and  harass."  the  lord  of  the  besieged  town.  — 

5.    sub  divo :  'bivouacking  be-  adulta:    i.e.    nubilis,   'of  a   mar- 

neath  the  open  sky.'     Cf.  i,  i,  25  :  riageable  age." 

231 


3,  2,  9]  HORATI 

suspiret,  eheu,  ne  rudis  agminum 
10  sponsus  lacessat  regius  asperum 

tactu  leonem,  quem  cruenta 
per  medias  rapit  ira  caedes. 

Dulce  et  decorum  est  pro  patria  mori 
mors  et  fugacem  persequitur  virum 
15  nee  parcit  imbellis  iuventae 

poplitibus  timidoque  tergo. 


9  ff.  suspiret,  etc. :  the  verb 
belongs  grammatically  with  both 
matrona  and  virgo,  but  its  posi- 
tion makes  it  felt  only  with  the 
latter.  — eheu :  the  sigh  which  the 
maiden  utters,  skillfully  placed 
between  the  verb  and  the  follow- 
ing clause,  ne  .  .  .  lacessat,  which 
expresses  the  fear  that  calls  forth 
the  sigh.  —  ne,  etc.:  for  fear 
that.  —  agminum :  armed  lines ; 
obj.  gen.  with  rudis,  equivalent  to 
rudis  belli.  —  sponsus  .  .  .  regius  : 
some  allied  prince  to  whom  the 
maiden  is  betrothed,  as  Cassan- 
dra was  to  Coroebus  (Verg.  A.  2, 
342  ff.). — lacessat:  vex,  attack 
recklessly.  Cf.  i,  35,  7  quicuvique 
.   .  .  lacessit  Carpathium  pelagus. 

—  asperum  tactu  leonem :  the  com- 
parison of  a  warrior  to  a  lion  is 
Homeric.     //.  5,  136  ff.  ;  20,  164  ff. 

—  cruenta  :  '  transferred  '  to  ira 
from  leonem.     Intr.  99. 

13.  dulce,  etc.  :  emphasizing 
the  preceding  wish.  '  Death  may 
come,  but  how  can  the  young  Ro- 
man die  better  than  for  his  coun- 
try?' The  expression  is  almost 
a    commonplace.       Cf.    Tyrtaeus 


Frg.  10  TtOva.fit.vai  yap  KaXov  ivl 
TrpofJid)(OLai.  ntcrovTa  \  dvop  dyauov 
TTtpl  fi  vaTpiSL  jJXipvdfJitVOV.  II. 
15,  496  f.  01;  ot  deiK€s  dfJivvop.ivw 
TTtpl  TraTprj'S  \  Tt6vdfJ.tv.  Eurip. 
Troad.  386  f.  Tpoies  Sc  TrpwTov 
p.iv,  TO  KaAAicrrov  kAc'os,  |  inrtp 
Trarpas  tOvrjO-KOv,  and  Cic.  P/iil. 
14,  31  o  fortunata  mors,  quae  na- 
turae debita  pro  patria  est  potissi- 
mum  reddita. 

14  ff.  '  Better  die  gloriously,  for 
death  overtakes  the  coward  as  well 
as  the  brave  man.'  —  mors:  em- 
phatically continuing  the  idea  of 
mori.  Intr.  28  b.  —  et :  as  well. 
The  verse  is  probably  a  reminis- 
cence of  Simonid.  Frg.  65  6  8'  au 
QdvaTO<i  Kiyt  kux  tov  ^vy6p.ayov. 
Cf.  also  Curt.  4,  14  effugit  mortem 
quisquis  contempserit,  timidissi- 
imim  qtiejiique  consequitur.  —  fu- 
gacem :  not  simply  one  who  runs 
away,  but  also  one  who  avoids  bat- 
tle. 'Death  finds  him  as  well.'  Cf. 
Callinus  Frg.  i,  I4ff.  ttoAAoiki  St^io- 
Ty]Ta  cfivyiov  kol  Sovttov  aKovTwv  \ 
tpy(tTau  iv  8'  o'lkw  fioipa  Ki^tv  Oava- 
Tov.  '  Often  a  man  escapes  safe 
from  the  strife  of  battle  and  din  of 


23; 


CARMINA 


[3.  2,  25 


25 


Virtus  repulsae  nescia  sordidae 
intaminatis  fulget  honoribus, 
nee  sumit  aut  ponit  securis 
arbitrio  popularis  aurae ; 

virtus  recludens  immeritis  mori 

caelum  negata  temptat  iter  via, 

coetusque  volgaris  et  udam 

spernit  humum  fugiente  penna. 

Est  et  fideli  tuta  silentio 


(striking)  spears  —  yet  in  his 
house   death's   doom   finds   him.' 

—  imbellis  iuventae  :  '  such  as  we 
see  about  us  to-day '  is   implied. 

—  poplitibus,  etc.  :  the  final  dis- 
grace of  the  coward  —  he  is  killed 
by  a  wound  in  the  back. 

17  ff.  Horace  here  develops  the 
Stoic  paradox  that  the  virtuous 
man,  the  man  truly  sapiens^  is  the 
only  one  who  is  really  rich,  free, 
and  kingly.  Cf.  2,  2, 9,  and  Epist. 
I,  I,  106  f.  ad  sH/nina;n,  sapiens 
lino  minor  est  love,  dives,  \  liber, 
honoratus,  pnlcher.  rex  deniqite 
regmn.  —  virtus  :  true  manhood, 
■7  aptrrj.  — repulsae  :  technical  for 
defeat  in  an  election  ;  connect 
with  nescia.  —  intaminatis  :  predi- 
cate —  still  unstdlied. 

19  f.  ponit :  lays  aside.  —  se- 
curis :  symbolical  of  power.  — 
aurae  :  a  common  metaphor,  mark- 
ing here  the  fickleness  of  the  peo- 
ple. Cf.  I,  5,  5  ;  2,  8,24  and  nn. 
Also  Livy  22,  26  aiira  favoris 
popularis. 

21  fE.    '■  True  manhood  secures 


immortality.'  Cf.  the  epigram  on 
those  who  fell  at  Thermopylae 
Anth.  Pal.  7,  251  owSe  nOvacrt 
6av6vT€s,  €7ret  o"<^  ap€Tr]  KaOvirepOi 
I  KvBaivova  dvayet  SwjitaTOs  ii 
'At'Seco.  '  Yet  though  they  died 
they  are  not  dead,  for  virtue  by 
its  power  to  glorify  brings  them 
up  from  the  house  of  Hades.' 
Also  Verg.  A.  6,  1^0  pauci,  g'uos 
.  .  .  ardens  evexit  ad  aethera  vir- 
tus.—  negata:  i.e.  to  all  but  her. 
'Virtue  alone  can  force  a  path.' 
C/.  Ovid.  Met.  14,  113  invia  vir- 
tuti  nulla  est  via.  Lowell,  Cot/i- 
inenioration  Ode,  'Virtue  treads 
paths  that  end  not  in  the  grave.' 
- —  volgaris  :  of  the  common  herd, 
the  profanum  volgus  of  the  pre- 
ceding ode.  —  udam  :  dank,  in 
contrast  to  the  clear  upper  air 
{liquidum  aethera  1,  20,  2)  to 
which  Virtue  soars. — spernit:  cf. 
I,  30,  2. 

25  ff.  To  the  excellent  quality 
of  virtus  is  added  fidele  silentium, 
'the  ability  to  keep  a  secret.'  — 
est,  etc. :  a  translation  ot  Simoni- 


233 


3,  2,  26] 


HORATI 


30 


merces.     Vetabo  qui  Cereris  sacrum 
volgarit  arcanae  sub  isdem 

sit  trabibus  fragilemque  mecum 

solvat  phaselon  :  saepe  Diespiter 
neglectus  incesto  addidit  integrum  ; 
raro  antecedentem  scelestum 
deseruit  pede  Poena  claudo. 


des,  Frg.  6,  6  tort  kox  ciyas  aKtV- 
Swov  yepas,  which  was  a  favorite 
quotation  of  Augustus.  For  the 
opposite,  cf.  I,  1 8,  1 6  arcani  fides 
prodiga.  —  et :  as  well.  —  vetabo, 
etc. :  the  common  personal  note, 
making  the  application  vivid  and 
concrete.  —  Cereris  sacrum:  the 
Eleusinian  mysteries  which  could 
be  disclosed  only  to  the  initiate ; 
here  used  as  a  general  illustration 
of  what  may  not  be  told.  Cf  i, 
1 8,  II  ff.  —  sub  isdem  .  .  .  trabi- 
bus :  cf.  Callim.  Hytmi.  in  Cerer. 
1 1 7  f-  [i-r\  T^vos  k^i.lv  cf>L  Aos,  OS  roi 
air(.^6ri<;,  €Lr}  /xrjB'  ofioToi^cy;.  '  May 
that  man  who  has  incurred  thy 
displeasure,  (goddess),  be  not  my 
friend  nor  share  the  same  house 
with  me.'  — sit:  dependent  on 
vetabo.  Cf.  the  construction  with 
ca7^e.  —  fragilem :  a  conventional 
epithet  (cf.  i,  3,  10),  but  here  em- 
phasizing the  danger. 

29  f .  saepe,  etc.  :  for  the  be- 
lief that  the  righteous  run  especial 
risks  in  embarking  with  the  wicked, 


cf.  Aesch.  Sepl.  601  if.  ws  yap 
^wet(r/3as  ttAoiov  evcre^S^s  avrjp  \ 
vavraiai  Bepfioi'i  iv  Travovpyia  Tivl 
I  oAwAcv  avBpoyv  $vv  BeoTTTvaTw 
yivu.  'For  the  pious  man  who 
has  embarked  with  sailors  hot  in 
some  rascality,  has  often  perished 
with  the  god-detested  lot.'  Eurip. 
Siippl.  ll(i  ff.  Koiva<;  yap  6  Ocos 
Tots  TV)(a<i  ■qyovp.f.vo'i  \  toX<;  tov  vo- 
o'ot'vros  TrrjfJMaLV  StcoXerre  |  rov  ov 
vo(TovvTa  KovBiv  rjSLKYjKOTa. — neg- 
lectus :  disregarded.  —  integrum  : 
cf.  I,  22,  I  integer  vitae. 

31  f .  raro :  emphatically  stat- 
ing the  opposite  of  saepe  above.  — 
'  seldom  does  the  wicked  man  es- 
cape.' —  deseruit :  given  np  the 
pursuit  of.  —  pede  claudo :  con- 
cessive. The  thought  is  a  com- 
monplace in  all  literature.  Cf. 
Eurip.  Frg.  979  17  Ai'kj;  .  .  .  ^pahCi 
TToSt  (TTtiypvfja.  yaapi/'ei  tovs  KaKOvs. 
orav  Tvxs-  Tibul.  I,  9,  4  sera 
tainen  tacitis  Poena  venit  pedibus  ; 
and  Herbert,  'God's  mill  grinds 
slow,  but  sure.' 


234 


CARMINA  [3,3,2 


The  theme  of  the  third  ode  is  similar  to  that  of  the  second :  the 
praise  of  two  great  virtues,  itistitia  and  constantia,  justice  and  stead-, 
fastness  of  purpose.  The  ode  opens  with  the  famous  picture  of  the 
upright  and  constant  man  who  is  unmoved  by  the  fury  of  the  populace 
or  by  the  raging  elements ;  the  fall  of  heaven  itself  would  not  shake 
him  (1-8).  Such  were  the  qualities  which  secured  immortality  for  ^ 
Pollux,  Hercules,  Augustus,  and  Quirinus  (9-16).  Then  with  the  men- 
tion of  Romulus  Horace  seems  to  turn  from  the  theme  with  which  he 
began,  and  reports  to  us  the  speech  of  Juno  before  the  council  of  the  "^  ■ 
gods,  in  which  she  gives  up  in  part  her  hatred  toward  the  Trojans  and 
their  descendants,  and  prophesies  for  Rome  an  empire  coterminous 
with  the  world,  so  long  as  her  people  shall  keep  themselves  from  avarice 
and  not  try  to  rebuild  Ilium  (17-68).  Then  he  suddenly  checks  him- 
self with  a  mock  reproach  to  his  lyre  and  muse  for  venturing  on  such 
mighty  themes  (69-72). 

The  introduction  of  Juno's  long  speech  was  apparently  due  to  a  ~ 
desire  to  avoid  the  monotony  of  a  long  moral  discourse ;  it  further 
allowed  Horace  to  drive  home  the  lesson  he  wished  to  teach  by  making  ~ 
it  part  of  Juno's  prophecy.  The  protest  against  any  attempt  to  rebuild 
Ilium  has  puzzled  commentators.  Some  take  it  to  refer  to  a  design  to 
move  the  capital  to  Ilium  which  rumor  had  attributed  to  Julius  Caesar. 
Cf.  Suet.  Div.  lul.  79  qui)i  etiam  varia  faiiia  pcrcrebiiit,  migratnrum 
.  ilexandrea//i  vel  IUidji,  translatis  siitml  opibus  imperii.  Others  regard 
it  as  an  allegorical  condemnation  of  Asiatic  vice  and  luxury,  which 
Rome  must  avoid  if  she  is  to  maintain  her  empire.  Both  views  are 
improbable.  Horace  wished  to  represent  Juno's  fateful  wrath  toward 
Ilium  as  but  partially  appeased:  she  will  allow  the  descendants  of 
the  Trojans  to  rule,  but  only  in  exile. 

The  name  Augustus  (v.   11)  shows  that  the  date  of  composition  is 
after  27  B.C.     Metre,  68. 

Iiistum  et  tenacem  propositi  viriim 
non  civium  ardor  prava  iubentium, 

I   £f.    Cf    Herrick's    imitation.  But  what  he  doth  at  first  entend.  | 

'  No  wrath  of  Men  or  rage  of  Seas  That  he  holds  firmly  to  the  end.' 

i  Can  shake  a  just  man's  purposes:  |  Psalms  46,  2    "Therefore  will  we 

\  o  threats  of  Tyrants,  or  the  Grim  not   fear,    though    the    earth    do 

I  Visage  of  them  can  alter  him  :  |  change,    and    though   the    moun- 


3.  3,  3] 


HORATI 


non  voltus  instantis  tyranni 

mente  qua'tit  solida,  neque  Aiister, 
./  . 
dux  inquieti  turbidus  Hadriae, 

nee  fulminantis  magna  manus  lovis  : 

si  fractus  inlabatur  orbis, 

impavidum  ferient  ruinae. 

Hac  arte  Pollux  et  vagus  Hercules 
enisus  arcis  attigit  igneas; 


tains  be  moved  in  the  heart  of  the 
seas ' ;  and  Tennyson's  lVi7/. 
The  first  two  strophes  were  re- 
peated by  the  great  Cornehus  de 
Witte  while  on  the  rack. 

—  civium  ardor,  instantis  ty- 
ranni :  '  neither  the  fury  of  the 
populace  nor  the  insistant  tyrant's 
look  can  shake  him.'  So  Soc- 
rates was  quite  unmoved  by  the 
demands  of  the  people,  when  pre- 
siding at  the  trial  of  the  generals 
who  had  commanded  at  Arginu- 
sae.  Plat.  A^oL  32  B.  Xen. 
Mem.  4,  4,  2.  Cf.  also  Juvenal's 
exhortation  8,  81  iT.  Phalaris  licet 
iiitperet  ut  sis  \  falsus  et  adi/ioto 
dictet  periuria  tauro,  |  simwmin 
crede  nefas,  animam  praeferre 
piidori  I  et  propter  vitani  vivendi 
perdere  causas.  —  mente  :  loca- 
tive abl. —  solida:  suggesting  the 
simile  which  Seneca  developed  de 
Cojisol.  Sap.  3  quevtadmodiiin 
proiecti  in  altiun  scopuli  fnare 
frangunt,  .  .  .  ita  sapientis  ani- 
mus solidiis  est. 

5  ff.  dux  .  .  .  Hadriae :  cf .  i , 
3,  15;  2,  17,  19.  —  inquieti:  rest- 


less.—  nee  fulminantis,  etc.:  cf. 
I,  16,  1 1  f.  ^ —  orbis  :  {the  vault  of) 
the  sky.  —  impavidum :  still  undis- 
mayed. 

9  ff.  Pollux,  Hercules,  Bacchus, 
and  Quirinus  are  types  of  mortals 
who  by  their  virtues  attained  im- 
mortality. Cf.  4,  5,  35  f.  Graecia 
Castoris  \  et  magni  memor  Her- 
culis.  Tacitus  says  {Ann.  4,  38) 
that  when  Tiberius  refused  divine 
honors  the  people  murmured : 
optimos  quippe  mortalium  altis- 
siina  cupere ;  sic  Herculem  et  Li- 
benim  apud  Graecos,  Quirinum 
apud  nos  deum  numero  additos ; 
.  .  .  melius  Augustiim  qui  spera- 
verit.  —  hac  arte  :  i.e.  by  means 
of  the  iustitia  and  constantin 
which  form  the  theme  of  the  ode. 
— vagus :  a  favorite  epithet  of 
Hercules.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  801  ff. 
where  Augustus'  travels  in  the 
East  are  compared  to  the  wander- 
ings of  Hercules  and  Bacchus,  nee 
vera  Alcides  tantjun  telluris  obivit, 
etc.  —  enisus :  striving  upward. 
—  arcis  igneas  :  cf.  Ovid.  Am.  3, 
10,  21  siderea  arx. 


236 


CARMINA 


[3.  3.  20 


15 


quos  inter  Augustus  recumbens 
purpureo  bibet  ore  nectar ; 

hac  te  merentem,  Bacche  pater,  tuae 
v^xere  tigres  indocili  iug:um 
coUo  trahentes  ;  hac  Quirinus 
Martis  eqliis  Acheronta  fugit, 

gratum  elocuta  consiliantibus 
lunone  divis  :  '  Ilion,  Ilion 
fatalis  incestusque  iudex 
et  mulier  peregrina  vertit 


II  f.  This  prophecy  marks  the 
court  poet.  Cf.  i.  2,41-52  ;  Verg. 
G.  1,  24-42. — recumbens:  at  the 
banquet.  — purpureo  :  ruddy,  with 
the  bloom  of  a  divine  youth.  So 
Vergil  says  of  Venus,  A.  2,  593 
roseoqiie  haec  insuper  addidit  ore. 

13  ff.  hac:  sc.  arte;  connect 
with  merentem,  witining  (heaven) . 
Cf.  Ovid.  Trist.  5,  3,  19  (also  of 
Bacchus)  ipse  qtioqite  aetherias 
merit  is  invectus  es  arces.  — vexere  : 
i.e.  ad  caelum.  —  tigres:  the  tamed 
tigers  symbolize  the  god's  civiliz- 
ing power.  —  Quirinus  :  for  the 
story  of  Romulus'  apotheosis,  cf. 
Livy  I,  16;  Ovid.  Fast.  2,  481  flf. 
Note  the  contrast  between  enisus 
(v.  10),  indicating  the  efforts  of 
Pollux  and  Hercules,  and  vexere 
(v.  14),  Martis  equis  fugit  (v.  16), 
applied  to  Bacchus  and  the  Roman 
Quirinus. 

17  ff.  Horace  now  represents 
the  gods  as  debating  whether 
Romulus    shall    be    admitted    to 


heaven  and  become  one  of  them. 
Juno's  speech  aiTords  him  an  op- 
portunity to  show  the  destiny  of 
the   Roman    State   if  it   be  just,  / 
steadfast,  and  without  greed. 

—  gratum:  modifying  elocuta. 
The  gods  were  pleased  that  she 
abated  her  hatred  toward  Ilium. 
—  elocuta  lunone  :  abl.  abs.,  fixing 
the  time.  — Ilion,  Ilion  :  the  repe- 
tition marks  the  speaker's  emo- 
tion. Cf.  Eurip.  Orest.  1381  ff. 
lAtov,  lAtov,  wynoi  />ioi  .  .  .  ws  cr' 
6A.d/>t€vov  arevw.     Intr.  28  a. 

19  f.  fatalis  :  fateful.  Cf.  the 
epithets  Avo-Trapts,  AtvoTrapts.  — 
incestus :  base,  foul,  because  his 
decision  in  awarding  the  prize  for 
beauty  was  determined  by  a  bribe. 
Cf.  3,  2,  30  incesto.  —  peregrina  : 
the  Greek  ySap/Sapo?,  scornfully 
applied  to  Helen.  Cf.  Eurip. 
Andr.  649,  where  Helen  is  called 
ywT]  /Sap^apoq.  Notice  that  Juno 
in  her  wrath  will  not  name  either 
Paris  or  Helen. 


237 


3,3,21]  HO  RATI 

J  in  pulverem,  ex  quo;destituit  deos 

mercede  pacta  Laomedon  mihi 
castaeque  damnatum  Minervae 
cum  populo  et  duce  fraudulento. 

25  lam  nee  Lacaenae  splendet  adulterac 

famosus  hospes  nee  Priami  domus 
periura  pugnaeis  Achivos 
Hectoreis  opibus  refringit, 

nostrisque  ductum  sedition  ibus 
30  helium  resedit :  protinus  et  gravis 

iras  et  invisum  nepotem, 

Troica  quem  peperit  sacerdos, 

21  ff.    ex  quo :    fixing  the  time      with  splendet,  ///  t/ie  eyes  of]  etc.  — 


of  damnatum  v.  23.  Troy  was 
doomed  from  the  day  of  Laome- 
don's  default ;  indiciuin  Paridis 
spretaeque  iniiiria  formae  were 
then  only  one  of  the  causes  of 
Troy's  fall.  —  deos  :  Apollo  and 
Poseidon  served  Laomedon  a  year ; 
according  to  the  Homeric  form  of 
the  story  (//.  21,  441  fF.),  Posei- 
don built  for  him  the  walls  of 
Troy  while  Apollo  pastured  his 
herds ;  but  Laomedon  refused  to 
pay  the  price  agreed  on  for  the 
service.  Other  forms  of  the  myth 
make  Apollo  Neptune's  partner  in 
building  the  walls.  —  castae  Mi- 
nervae :  cf.  I,  7,  5  intactae  Palla- 
dis.  —  duce  :  Laomedon. 

25  ff.  iam  nee  :  no  longer  now. 
—  splendet:  reproducing  the  Ho- 
meric KoXKfx  re  crTtA/iJwv  kox 
etfiam  II.  3,  392.  — adulterae  :  dat. 


famosus :  Paris  was  the  notorious 
example  of  such  infamous  action 
toward  his  host.  —  periura :  re- 
ferring to  Laomedon's  broken 
promise.  —  refringit :  breaks  and 
drives   back. 

29  ff .  ductum :  prolonged.  The 
length  of  the  war  was  due  to  divi- 
sion among  the  gods.  —  resedit : 
has  subsided.,  like  the  waves  of  a 
stormy  sea.  -^—  protinus  :  from  this 
movient.  —  nepotem  :  Romulus, 
her  descendant,  hitherto  hateful 
(invisum)  to  her  because  the  child  _ 
of  a  Trojan  mother.  —  Troica  sa- 
cerdos :  Rhea  Silvia.  Horace  here, 
as  in  I,  2,  17  ff..  follows  the  older 
tradition  which  made  her  the 
daughter  of  Aeneas.  Notice  that" 
here,  as  in  v.  25  f.,  Juno  will  not 
call  the  objects  of  her  resentment 
bv  name. 


238 


35 


40 


C  ARM  IN  A 

Marti  redonabo ;  ilium  ego  lucidas 
inire  sedes,  discere  nectaris 
sucos  et  adscribi  quietis  - 
ordinibus  patiar  deorum. 

Dum  longus  inter  saeviat  I  lion 
Romamque  pontus,  qualibet  exsules 
in  parte  regnanto  beati ; 

dum  Priami  Paridisque  busto^ 

insultet  armentum  et  catulos  ferae 
celent  inultae,  stet  Capitolium 


[3.  3.  42 


33  ff.  redonabo :  resign  as  a 
free  gift y  coiidonabo.  Cf.  2,  7,  3, 
where  the  word  is  used  in  a  differ- 
ent sense.  —  ilium :  emphatic  and 
serving  to  connect  the  two  sen- 
tences. Cf.  3,  2.  6.  —  lucidas  se- 
des :  cf.  the  Homeric  aiyAT/evros 
'OAu/u,7rov,  //.  I,  532. — discere: 
to  learn  (the  taste  of).  —  adscribi 
.  .  .  ordinibus :  to  be  enrolled  in 
the  ranks;  a  technical  expression 
taken  from  the  enrollment  of  citi- 
zens in  their  proper  orders.  — 
quietis :  for  the  gods  live  undis- 
tressed  by  cares  that  harass  men. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  4,  379  f.  ea  cura 
guietos  \  sollicitat. 

37  ff.  dum  .  .  .  dum :  so  long 
as,  expressing  the  condition  on 
which  she  yields.  — longus.  sae- 
viat :  emphasizing  the  separation. 
—  qualibet,  etc. :  'they  may  reign 
in  good  fortune  wherever  they  will, 
provided  they  continue  exiles.'  — 
busto :  loc.  abl .  Horace  could  pic- 
ture Priam's  tomb  in  his  imagina- 


tion, for  Vergil's  A.  2,  557  had 
not  been  published. 

41  ff.  The  place  where  Troy 
once  stood  shall  be  utterly  deso- 
late. Cf.  Isaiah  13,  20  f.  •  It  shall 
shall  never  be  inhabited,  neither 
shall  it  be  dwelt  in  from  genera- 
tion to  generation  :  neither  shall 
the  Arabian  pitch  tent  there ; 
neither  shall  shepherds  make  their 
flocks  to  lie  down  there.  But 
wild  beasts  of  the  desert  shall  lie 
there :  and  their  houses  shall  be 
full  of  doleful  creatures ;  and  os- 
triches shall  dwell  there,  and 
satyrs  shall  dance  there.  And 
wolves  shall  cryin  their  castles. and 
jackals  in  the  pleasant  palaces.' 

—  insultet :  gambol  on,  from 
which  comes  the  connotation  of 
insult.  Cf.  //.  4,  176  f.  Kat'  /c€ 
Tis  w8  ipiu  Tpwo)v  VTreprjvopeov- 
TO)v  I  TVfi^w  iTnOpcoaKtav  MeveXaov 
KvSaXiixoLO.  —  stet :  n/ay  stand 
(undisturbed) :  permissive  like  reg- 
nanto   above.  —  Capitolium :    the 


239 


3.  3.  43] 


HORATI 


45 


5° 


fulgens  triumphatisque  possit 
Roma  ferox  dare  iura  Medis ; 

horrenda  late  nomen  in  ultimas 
extendat  oras,  qua  medius  liquor 
secernit  Europen  ab  Afro, 
qua  tumidus  rigat  arva  Nilus. 

Aurum  inrepertum  et  sic  melius  situm, 
cum  terra  celat,  spernere  fortior 
quam  cogef e^  humanos  in  usus 
omne  sacrum  rapiente  dextra, 

quicumque  mundo  terminus  obstitit, 
hunc  tanget  armis,  visere  gestiens 


symbol  of  Rome's  power.  Cf.  i, 
37,  6  and  n. — -fulgens:  predi- 
cate with  stet ;  contrasted  with 
the  desolation  of  Troy. — trium- 
phatis :  logically  part  of  the  per- 
mission, '  may  conquer  and  impose 
her  laws  on.'  —  Roma  ferox :  stern, 
warlike.  Cf .  i ,  3  5 ,  i  o  Latium  ferox. 
45  ff.  horrenda  late  :  feared 
afar.  Cf.  Ovid.  Fasti  1,717  hor- 
reatAeneadas  et  primus  et  ultimus 
orbis.  —  nomen  :  used  almost  tech- 
nically—  i.e.  the  remotest  peoples 
are  to  come  under  the  nomen 
i^Romanuni) .  Cf.  Latinum  nomen 
4r  15»  13-  —  l"'^  medius  liquor, 
etc. :  the  straits  of  Gibraltar  on 
the  west,  Egypt  on  the  east.  — tu- 
midus .  .  .  rigat :  with  its  annual 
inundation.  Cf.  Verg.  G.  4,  291  f. 
et  diversa  mens  septem  discurrit 
in  ora  \  et  viridem  Aegyptuin 
nigra  fecundat  arena. 


49  ff.  The  second  condition  on 
which  Rome's  future  depends  is 
that  she  show  herself  superior  to 
lust  for  gold  :  if  the  Roman  can  re- 
sist that,  he  shall  subdue  the  whole 
world.  —  ^nrepertum  :  undiscov- 
ered, because  not  sought  for.  — 
spernere  fortior,  etc. :  braver  in 
scorning  the  gold  thati  in,  etc. ; 
epexegetical  infinitives  with  for- 
tior. Intr.  108.  The  expression 
is  somewhat  forced  and  the  first 
part  of  the  strophe  is  made  ob- 
scure by  the  parenthetical  et  sic  . .  . 
celat.  —  cogere :  a  strong  word  — 
forcibly  gathering  it. — humanos  in 
usus:  with  rapiente. — sacrum  :  with 
special  reference  to  the  gold  hidden 
in  the  earth  :  it  is  sacrum  since  the 
gods  have  there  concealed  it. 

53  ff.  The  goddess  now  passes 
from  mere  permission  (regnanto, 
stet,  extendat)  to  prophecy  (tan- 


240 


CARMINA 


[3.  3.  66 


6o 


65 


qua  parte  debacchentur  ignes, 
qua  nebulae  pluviique  rores. 

Sed  bellicosis  fata  Quiritibus 
hac  lege  dico,  ne  nimium  pii 
rebusque  fidentes  avitae 
tecta  velint  reparare  Troiae. 

Troiae  renascens  alite  lugubri 
fortuna  tristi  clade  iterabitur, 
ducente  victricis  catervas 
coniuge~me  lovis  et  sorore. 

Ter  si  resurgat  murus  aeneus 
auctore  Phoebo^  ter  pereat  meis 


get) .  —  quicumque  mundo,  etc. : 
whatever  bound  has  beett  set  the 
world,  that  she  shall  touch,  etc.  — 
qua  parte,  etc. :  the  torrid  zone. 

—  debacchentur :  keep  wild  revel. 

—  qua  nebulae,  etc. ;  the  farthest 
north  with  which  the  Roman  in 
Horace's  day  was  actually  ac- 
quainted was  North  Germany  with 
its  fogs  and  rains.  Cf.  i,  22, 
17-20. 

57  ff.  sed  :  Juno  returns  to  the 
condition  with  which  she  began, 
V.  37  ff.  —  bellicosis  :  more  than  a 
mere  ornamental  epithet ;  it  im- 
plies that  the  Romans  will  gain 
their  empire  by  arms.  —  hac  lege 
.  .  .  ne:  on  this  condition,  that 
they  shall  not,  etc.  —  pii :  i.e. 
toward  their  mother  city,  avitae 
Troiae.  —  rebus  fidentes  :  with  ref- 
erence to  the  content  of  vv.  45-56. 

" ■•"       16  24 


61  ff.  Troiae :  echoing  the  pre- 
ceding Troiae.  Intr.  28  b.  — re- 
nascens :  transferred  from  Troiae 
to  fortuna,  a  difficult  hypallage  in 
English.  Intr.  99.  —  alite  :  cf. 
I,  15,  5.  —  ducente,  etc.  :  cf.  Verg. 
A.  2,  612  ff.  hie  lit  no  Scaeas  sae- 
vissima  portas  \  prima  tenet,  soci- 
nmqtce  furetis  a  navibus  agnien  \ 
ferro  accincta  vocat.  —  coniuge . .  . 
et  sorore :  an  Homeric  phrase, 
Kacriyvi]Tr]  aXo)^6's  re,  adopted  also 
by  Verg.  A.  i,  46  f.  ast  ego,  quae 
divoin  incedo  regina,  lovisque  \  et 
soror  et  coniunx. 

65  ff.  ter  ...  ter  ..  .  ter  : 
Intr.  28  c. — aeneus:  'and  be  of 
bronze  as  well.'  —  auctore  Phoebo  : 
as  they  were  before.  Cf.  v.  21  f. 
above  and  n.  —  meis  Argivis  :  ab- 
lative of  instrument  rather  than 
of  agent. 


3.  3.  ^7J  HORATl 

excisus  Argivis,  ter  uxor 

capta  virum  puerosque  ploret.' 

Non  hoc  iocosae  conveniet  lyrae  : 
70  quo,  musa,  tendis  ?     Desine  pervicax 

referre  sermones  deorum  et 
magna  modis  tenuare  parvis. 

69   ff.    non    hoc,   etc. :    Horace  that  all  has  not  yet  been  said.  — 

suddenly  checks  his  muse  with  the  pervicax  :    persistent,  —  tenuare  : 

warning  that  his  lyre  is  iocosa  and  to  lessen,  dwarf.     Cf.  1,6,  12  de- 

not  suited  to  such  serious  themes.  ter  ere;  i,  6,  9  nee  .  .  .  conamur, 

The  strophe  is  a  mere  device  to  tennes  grandia.     Also  Prop.  4,  i, 

close   the   ode.      Cf.   2,   i,  37  if.  ^  dicite,  quo  pariter  carmen  ten  11- 

—  conveniet:    the    tense    implies  astis  iti  antro? 


Horace  begins  this  ode  with  a  second  invocation  to  the  Muses  and  a 
renewed  pledge  of  his  loyalty  and  devotion  to  them.  It  was  they  who 
gave  him  safe  escape  at  Philippi,  protected  him  from  the  falling  tree, 
and  rescued  him  from  drowning.  Under  their  guardianship  he  may 
wander  all  unharmed  among  savage  tribes  on  the  very  outskirts  of  the 
world  (1-36).  It  is  also  they  who  protect  mighty  Caesar  and  aid  him 
with  gentle  counsel  (37-42).  At  this  point  in  the  ode  Horace  turns 
with  apparent  abruptness  to  the  story  of  the  giants'  defeat  in  their 
battle  with  the  gods,  and  closes  with  a  warning  against  dependence  on 
brute  force  and  violence  (42-80).  No  Roman,  however,  would  fail  to 
see  that  Horace  wished  to  present  Augustus  here  as  the  vice-regent  of 
Jove,  and  that  the  powers  of  violence  are  those  of  rebellion  again.st  the 
emperors  moderate  and  beneficent  rule.  In  the  next  ode  the  compari- 
son is  more  outspoken. 

The  date  of  composition  is  approximately  26  B.C. :  cf.  n.  to  v.  33. 
Metre,  68. 

Descende  caelo  et  die  age  tibia 
regina  longum  Calliope  melos, 

I  ff .  descende  caelo :  for  the  however,  understood  it  to  mean : 
Muses  dwell  on  Olympus,  //.  2,  •  Come  back  to  earth  from  the 
484  MoSo-ai  '0Ai)/A7ritt  Sw/^ar'  l^'^v-  council  of  the  gods  (in  the  pre- 
crai.     The  ancient  commentators,       ceding   ode).'     This    is   possible. 

242 


CARMLNA 


[3.  4.  9 


seu  voce  nunc  mavis  acuta, 
seu  fidibus  citharave  Phoebi. 

Auditis,  an  me  ludit  amabilis 
insania  ?     Audire  et  videor  pios 
errare  per  lucos,  amoenae 

quos  et  aquae  subdunt  et  aurae. 

Me  fabulosae  Volture  in  Apulo 


ijut  fanciful. —  die  age  :  come  play 
upon  thy  pipe,  etc.  Cf.  i,  32, 
3;  2,  II,  22.  —  regina :  thus  ad- 
dressed, since  she  rules  the  poet's 
song;  cf.  I,  6,  10;  2,  12,  13  f. 
So  Venus  is  called  regina  (3,  26. 
II)  ' queen  of  love.'  —  Calliope  : 
with  no  reference  to  Calliope's 
special  province  as  the  muse  of 
epic  poetry.  Cf.  i,  i,  32  and  n. 
The  invocation  may  have  been 
suggested  by  Alcm.  Frg.  45  Mwcr' 
dye,  KaAAiOTTu.  6vyaT£p  Aid;. 
dpx  ipaToiv  iirewv,  or  by  Stesich. 
Ff'g.  45  Btvp'  dye.  KaAAioTreta 
At'yeia  —  seu  voce.  etc.  :  the  ex- 
pression is  somewhat  confused  : 
Horace  prays  the  Muse  to  sing 
either  to  the  accompaniment  of 
the  pipe  (tibia),  or  of  the  lyre 
(fidibus  citharave)  or  with  her 
clear,  treble  (acuta,  equivalent  to 
Ai'yeia  above)  voice  alone.  —  fidi- 
bus citharave  :  the  distinction  be- 
tween cithara  and  lyra  was  earlv 
confused  (cf.  the  Horn.  Hymn,  ad 
Merc.  423  Aupry  8'  iparov  KiBapi- 
^wi/),  and  Horace  is  obviously  here 
thinking  of  a  single  instrument. 
5  ff .  auditis :  in  his  imagina- 
tion  the   poet   hears  alreadv  the 


voice  of  the  Muse.  —  insania :  the 
poetic  ecstasy  called  by  Plato 
{Phaedr.  245  A.)  otto  Movcrtui' 
KaTOK<xi)(rj  (possession)  re  kol 
/MLvia.  —  videor:  sc.  mi/ii.  Cf. 
Verg.  £.  10,  58  f.  iam  mihi  per 
rupes  videor  Incosque  sonantis  \ 
ire.  —  pios  lucos  :  the  haunts  of 
the  Muses,  consecrated  by  their 
presence. 

8.  quos  .  .  .  subeunt:  beneath 
which  glide,  subeunt  is  connected 
by  a  slight  zeugma  with  aurae. 
Sappho,  Fig.  4,  describes  in  similar 
fashion  the  garden  of  the  nymphs 
d//,</>t  8  \^<ap  I  {i{{/o6ev)  il/v)(pov  /ceAd- 
8et  81  vaowv  |  puaXivutv,  aWvcrcrop-l- 
v(ov  8e  <f>v\X(x>v  I  KOipua.  Karappei. 
'All  around  through  branches  of 
apple-orchards'i  Cool  streams  call, 
while  down  from  the  leaves  a-trem- 
ble  i  Slumber distilleth"(Symonds). 

9  ff.  '  I  have  been  favored  by  the 
Muses  from  my  infant  years';  ex- 
plaining why  he  may  be  able  to 
hear  the  Muses'  song  while  duller 
ears  cannot.  Similar  stories  are 
told  of  Pindar,  Stesichorus,  Aes- 
chylus, and  others.  Cf.  Tennyson. 
Eleanore  2.  '  Or  the  yellow-banded 
bees,  '  Thro"  lialf  open  lattices  i 


H3 


3.  4.  lo] 


HORATI 


«S 


nutricis  extra  limina  Pulliae 
ludo  fatigatumque  somno 

fronde  nova  puerum  palumbes 

texere,  mirum  quod  foret  omnibus, 
quicumque  celsae  nidum  Acherontiae 
saltusque  Bantinos  et  arvum 
pingue  tenent  humilis  Forenti, 

ut  tuto  ab  atris  corpore  viperis 
dormirem  et  ursis,  ut  premerer  sacra 


Coming  in  the  scented  breeze,  |  Fed 
thee,  a  child,  lying  alone,  |  With 
whitest  honey  in  fairy  gardens 
cull'd —  I  A  glorious  child,  dream- 
ing alone,  |  In  silk-soft  folds,  upon 
yielding  down,  |  With  the  hum  of 
swarming  bees  |  Into  dreamful 
slumber  lulFd.' 

—  fabulosae  .  .  .  palumbes:  the 
doves  of  story.  Some,  however, 
connect  fabulosae  with  nutricis. — 
Volture:  Mt.  Voltur,  near  the  bor- 
ders of  Apulia  and  Lucania. — ex- 
tra limina :  the  child  had  wandered 
away  into  the  wood,  where  he  at  last 
fell  asleep.  —  Pulliae:  this  is  the 
reading  of  some  of  the  best  Mss., 
and  the  name  is  found  in  inscrip- 
tions. The  other  reading,  liineti 
Apfiliae,  is  impossible.  —  ludo,  etc. : 
possibly  modelled  after  the  Ho- 
meric (//.  10,98;  Od.  12,  281)  Ka- 
fidrw  dSr)K6T€<;  r/Bk  Koi  VTrvut.  For 
the  position  of -que,  see  Intr.  31. — 
fronde  nova :  fres/i  and  fragrant. 

13 ff.  mirum  quod  foret :  (a  sight) 
to  be  a  marvel;  expanded  v.  17  ff. 
ut . . .  dormirem,  etc.^ — nidum  Ache- 


rontiae :  to-day,  Acerenza,  perched 
like  a  nest  on  the  top  of  a  hill. 
Many  Italian  towns  were  so  placed 
for  defense,  and  still  retain  the  ap- 
pearance graphically  described  by 
the  word  nidus.  Cf.  Cic.  de  Or.  i, 
196  Itliacain  illain  in  asperriviis 
saxnlistajitquam  niditliim  adfixain. 
Macaulay,  Horatius,  '  From  many 
a  lonely  hamlet,  |  Which,  hid  by 
beech  and  pine,  |  Like  an  eagle's 
nest,  hangs  on  the  crest  |  Of  pur- 
ple Apennine.' —  saltus  Bantinos: 
the  modern  Abbadia  de'  Banzi, 
on  the  side  of  the  hill  to  the  north 
of  Acerenza. —  humilis  Forenti: 
the  ancient  town  was  in  the  low- 
lands ;  the  modern  Forenza,  situ- 
ated on  a  hill,  preserves  the  name. 
i7fE.  ut . .  .  dormirem,  ut .  .  .  pre- 
merer: interrogative,  the  object 
of  their  wonder.  Notice  the  eflfect 
of  the  interlocked  order  of  the  first 
line.  —  atris :  the  '  deadly '  color. 
Cf.  I,  37,  27  and  n. — sacra:  the 
laurel  was  sacred  to  Apollo,  the 
god  of  song,  and  the  myrtle  to 
Venus ;    therefore  their  use   fore- 


244 


-tiJ 


CARMINA 


[3.  4.  32 


-5 


30 


lauroque  conlataque  myrto, 
non  sine  dis  animosus  infans. 

Vester,  Camenae,  vester  in  arduos 
toiler  Sabinos,  seu  mihi  frigidum 
Praeneste  seu  Tibur  supinum 
seu  liquidae  placuere  Baiae. 

Vestris  amicum  fontibus  et  choris 
non  me  Philippis  versa  acies  retro, 
devota  non  exstinxit  arbor, 
nee  Sicula  Palinurus  unda. 

Vtcumque  mecum  vos  eritis,  libens 
insanientem  navita  Bosporum 
temptabo  et  urentis  harenas 
litoris  Assyrii  viator ; 


told  that  the  child  was  to  be  a 
poet  of  love. — non  sine  dis:  the 
Homeric  ov  rot  avtv  Otov  {Od.  2, 
372).  owK  d^eet  ((9c/.  18,  353).  The 
child's  spirit  was  divinely  given. 

21  ff.  vester . . .  vester :  the  repe- 
tition emphasizes  the  poet's  de- 
votion to  his  task  as  Miisaruin 
sacerdos. — toUor:  middle,  climb. — 
Praeneste.  Tibur,  Baiac :  three  fa- 
vorite resorts  of  the  Romans. — 
frigidum:  cf.  luven.  3,  190  gelida 
Praeneste.  —  supinum:  sloping;  cf. 
luven.  3,  \c)2proni  Tiburus  arce.  — 
liquidae :  clear ,  of  the  air ;  cf.  2,  20, 
2.  But  some  commentators  refer 
it  to  the  water  at  Baiae. 

25  ff .  vestris  :  echoing  vester  of 
the  preceding  strophe.  —  amicum: 
giving  the  reason  for  his  protection 
—  "because  I  am  dear,'  etc.  —  fon- 


tibus: cf.  I,  26,  6. — Philippis:  cf. 

2,  7,  9  ff. 

28.  We  have  no  other  reference 
to  Horace's  escape  from  shipwreck, 
and  it  is  not  impossible  that  he 
added  this  simply  to  round  out  his 
list  of  dangers  and  to  show  that  the 
Muses  protect  him  on  land  and  sea. 
— Palinurus :  a  promontory  of  Lu- 
cania  named  from  Aeneas'  pilot ; 
Verg.  A.d,  381  aeternutnque  locus 
Palimiri  nonien  habebit. 

29  ff .  utcumque :  whenever.  —  in- 
sanientem .  .  .  Bosphonmi:  noted 
for  its  stormy  character.  Cf.  2, 13, 
1 4,  and  with  the  adjective  Verg.  E.  9, 
43  insani  feriant  sine  litorefliictiis. 
—  urentis  harenas,  etc. :  notice  the 
contrast  between  Bosphorum,  ha- 
renas, and  navita,  viator. —  Assyrii : 
i.e. '  Syrian,'  •  Eastern.'  Cf.  2, 11,16. 


245 


3»  4>  33] 


HORATI 


35 


40 


visam  Britannos  hospitibus  feros 
et  laetum  equino  sanguine  Concanum, 
visam  pharetratos  Gelonos 

et  Scythicum  inviolatus  amnem. 

Vos  Caesarem  altuni,  militia  simul 
fessas  cohortis  abdidit  oppidis, 
finire  quaerentem  labores 
Pierio  recreatis  antro. 

Vos  lene  consilium  et  datis  et  dato 
gaudetis,  almae.     Scimus  ut  impios 


33 ff.  Britannos:  Augustus"  pro- 
jected expedition  against  the  Brit- 
ons may  have  occasioned  their 
mention  here  (cf.  introductory  n. 
to  I.  35)  ;  or  they  may  have  been 
chosen  as  a  type  of  the  peoples 
Hving  on  the  borders  of  the  world. 
Cf.  I.  35,  30  ultiinos  orbis  Britan- 
nos. —  hospitibus  feros :  Tacitus, 
Ann.  14.  30,  pictures  them  as  sav- 
ages.—  Concanum:  a  Cantabrian 
tribe  ;  cf.  2,  6,  2.  Verg.  G.  3,  463, 
says  that  the  Geloni  drink  horses' 
blood  mixed  with  milk.  Statins, 
AMI.  I,  307,  attributes  a  similar 
custom  to  the  Massagetae.  — Gelo- 
nos :  cf.  2,  9,  23  ;  20,  19.  —  Scythi- 
cum amnem:  theTanais,  Don.  Cf. 
3,  10,  I. — inviolatus:  predicate, — 
and  still  remain  unharmed. 

37 ff.  vos:  connecting  this  stro- 
phe with  the  preceding,  and  bring- 
ing us  back  to  the  main  theme  of 
this  part  of  the  ode,  —  the  Muses 
and  their  influence.  —  altum:  ex- 
alted.—  militia  simul,  etc.:    after 


the  battle  of  Actium  Augustus 
settled  120,000  veterans  on  lands, 
spending  enormous  sums  for  this 
purpose.  In  spite  of  the  vexa- 
tion that  the  confiscations  of  land 
caused,  this  disposition  of  the 
troops  was  doubtless  a  great  relief 
to  many  who  feared  that  the  victor 
might  use  his  forces  to  secure  ty- 
rannical power.  —  abdidit :  aptly 
expressing  the  disappearance  of 
the  troops.  —  finire,  etc. :  Augustus' 
great  desire  seems  to  have  been 
for  peace  ;  the  Roman  world  saw  a 
warrant  of  this  in  the  disbanding 
of  his  veterans  just  referred  to. — 
Pierio  recreatis  antro :  i.e.  by  liter- 
ary pursuits  in  some  quiet  spot,  as 
in  a  cave  sacred  to  the  Muses.  Cf. 
I,  12,  6.  When  Octavian  was  re- 
turning from  the  East  in  29  B.C., 
he  rested  .some  time  at  Atella  in 
Campania,  where  on  four  succes- 
sive days  the  GeorgicSy  which  Ver- 
gil had  just  finished,  were  read  to 
him  bv  Vercjil  and  Maecenas. 


246 


C  ARM  IN  A 


[3.  4.  50 


Titanas  immanemque  turbam 
fulmine  sustulerit  caduco 

45  qui  terram  inertem,  qui  mare  temperat 

ventosum  et  urbis  regnaque  tristia 
divosque  mortalisque  turmas 
imperio  regit  unus  aequo. 

Magnum  ilia  terrorem  intulerat  lovi 
50  fidens  iuventus  horrida  bracchiis, 


41  ft.  vos :  cf.  n.  on  ;i7  above.  — 
lene  consilium,  etc. :  with  reference 
to  Augustus"  mild  and  beneficent 
policy  after  he  had  established  his 
position  (cf.  C.  S.  5 1  iacentein  lenis 
in  hosteni) .  This  policy  of  concili- 
ation was  in  sharp  contrast  with 
the  proscriptions  of  Marius,  Sulla, 
and  also  of  the  second  Trium- 
virate, consisting  of  Antony. 
Lepidus,  and  Octavian,  to  whose 
hatred  many  fell  victims  in  43  B.C. 
among  tliem  the  orator  Marcus 
Cicero. — consilium:  trisyllabic. 
Intr.  39.  —  date:  sc.  consilio;  i.e. 
tlie  Muses  take  delight  in  further- 
ing the  counsel  that  they  have 
<;iven. — scimus,  etc.:  emphatic,  we 
all  know.  Horace  thus  suddenly 
turns  to  his  contemporaries  and 
reminds  them  that  the  lesson  is  in- 
tended for  them  ;  they  must  recog- 
nize that  foolish  rebellion  against 
Caesar's  kindly  rule  is  as  vain  as 
the  attack  of  the  Titans  on  Jove's 
power.  —  fulmine  .  .  .  caduco:  the 
(/nick-falling  bolt.  So  in  Aesch.  P. 
l'\  358  flf.  it  is  said  that  the  monster 
Typhon  was  consumed  by  the  /car- 


ai^arr;?  K(.pavv6<i  iKirviisiv  (jiXoya. 

—  sustulerit:  destroyed.  The  sub- 
ject is  the  antecedent  of  qui  in  the 
following  verse. 

45  ff.  terram,  mare,  urbis,  etc. : 
indicating  the  universality  of  Jove's 
rule.  Observe  also  that  the  natu- 
ral contrast  of  the  nouns  is  height- 
ened by  the  adjectives  employed, 

—  inertem,  drute ;  ventosum,  gusty 
(cf.  1, 34,  9  brut  a  tcllus  et  vaga  flu- 
mind)  ;  tristia,  gloomy,  contrasted 
with  the  cities  of  men.  — temperat : 
gorier  US  (in  harmony).  Cf.  i,  12. 
16.  Its  objects  are  terram  and 
mare :  the  other  nouns  denoting 
animate  creatures  belong  with  re- 
git.—  xmus :  alone,  emphasizing  the 
unity  of  the  world's  order. 

49  ff.  The  possibility  that  Jove 
should  fear  the  giants  is,  strictly 
taken,  inconsistent  with  his  uni- 
versal rule  described  in  the  preced- 
ing strophe ;  but  Horace  wished 
to  exalt  (57  f.)  the  position  of  Pal- 
las, the  embodiment  of  wisdom,  in 
relation  to  the  power  of  Jove. 

50.  fidens  :  absolutely, //'^.s-//////- 
iuoiis.  —  iuventus  horrida  bracchiis : 


i. 


247 


3.4.50 


HORATI 


55 


fratresque  tendentes  opaco 
Pelion  imposuisse  Olympo. 

Sed  quid  Typhoeus  et  validus  Mimas, 
aiit  quid  minaci  Porphyrion  statu, 
quid  Rhoetus  evolsisque  truncis 
Enceladus  iaculator  audax 

contra  sonantem  Palladis  aegida 
possent  ruentes  ?     Hinc  avidus  stetit 


the  Hecatoncheires,  who  in  the 
common  form  of  the  myth  guard 
for  Jove  the  Titans  whom  he  has 
hurled  into  Tartarus.  But  here 
Horace  includes  them  among  the 
monstrous,  and  therefore  evil,  pow- 
ers that  assail  the  majesty  of  right 
and  wisdom.  The  violence  done 
the  old  mythology  would  offend  no 
one  of  Horace's  audience,  and  the 
allegory  would  be  evident  to  all. 
horrida  bracchiis :  with  their  bris- 
tling arms. 

51  f.  fratres:  the  Aloidae,  Otus 
and  Ephialtes. — tendentes,  etc. :  cf. 
Od.  1 1 ,  3 1 5  f.  "Otrcrav  ctt'  OuAv/atto) 
ixi/xaaav  Oe/xev,  avrap  iv  "Ocrarj 
I  n?;Aiov  (.LVO(TL(^vXkov .  Verg.  G. 
I,  280  ff.  et  coniuratos  caelum  re- 
scindere  fratres.  \  ter  sunt  conati 
itnponere  Pelio  Ossam  \  scilicet, 
atqne  Ossae  frondosum  involvere 
Olympum;  Prop.  2,  i,  19  f.  non 
ego  Titanas  canerem,  non  Ossan 
Olympo  I  impositam,  nt  caeli  Pe- 
lion esset  iter.  —  imposuisse :  for  the 
force  of  the  tense,  cf.  i,  i,  4. 

53 ff.  Typhoeus:  according  to 
Hesiod,  Theog.  821,  the  youngest 


child  of  Earth,  sent  to  punish  Zeus 
for  .his  destruction  of  the  Giants  ; 
Pindar,  /".  8,  21,  makes  him  one  of 
the  Giants.  —  Mimas:  also  a  Giant, 
Eurip./(7«2I5. — Porphyrion:  king 
of  the  Giants,  Pind.  P.  8, 15.  —  mi- 
naci statu  :  of  threatening  mien.  — 
Rhoetus:  cf.  2,  19,  23.  —  truncis: 
instrumental  abl.  with  iaculator. 
Intr.  97. — Enceladus:  buried  un- 
der Aetna.  Verg.  A.  3,  578  ff. 
fama  est  Eticeladi  semiustum  ful- 
tnine  corpus  |  urgueri  mole  hac, 
ingentetiique  i)isuper  Aetnam  \  im- 
positam  ruptis  flamtnani  exspirare 
caminis.  Also  Longfellow's  En- 
celadus. 

5jS.  Palladis:  the  embodiment 
of  wisdom,  and  Jove's  chief  sup- 
port. —  aegida  :  represented  in 
works  of  art  as  a  breast-plate  (cf. 
n.  to  I,  15,  ii),but  apparently  con- 
ceived of  here  as  a  shield,  possibly 
after  //.  17,  593  ff.  koL  tot  apa.  Kpo- 
vi8r;s  «Act'  atyi'Sa  dvcraavoeaaav 
(adorned  with  tassels)  |  fx.apfxapirjv 
(flashing),  .  .  .  ttjv  8'  ertm^e. — 
ruentes:  wildly  rushing;  cf.  n.  to 
ruit,v.  65  below.  —  hinc  :  i.e.  beside 


248 


CARMINA 


[3>  4.  67 


60 


65 


Volcanus,  hinc  matrona  luno  et 
numquam  umeris  positurus  arcum, 

qui  rore  puro  Castaliae  lavit 
crinis  solutos,  qui  Lyciae  tenet 
dumeta  natalemque  silvam, 
Delius  et  Patareus  Apollo. 

Vis  consili  expers  mole  ruit  sua  : 
vim  temperatam  di  auoque  provehunt 
Mem  od'ere  viris 


m  mams 


Jove. — avidus:  cf.  the  Homeric 
XiXcuofievoi  TToXifxoto  II.  3,  133. 
Verg.  A.  9,  661  avidus  prtgnae. — 
numquam  umeris,  etc.:  cf.  i,  21, 
1 1  f.  {tollite  laiidibus)  itisigneiiiqite 
pharetra  \  fraternaqtie  timeruin 
lyra.  In  Eurip.  Ale.  40  Apollo 
says,  in  answer  to  the  question 
why  he  has  his  bow  and  arrows 
with  him,  (rwr;^es  aiei  raOra  /Sacr- 
rd^eiv  e/u.01. 

61  ff.  Cf.  Find.  P.  I,  39  AvKte 
«ai  AaAoi'  dvacro-wv  ^oi^t,  Ilapvacr- 
(jov  T£  Kpdvav  KaoraAiav  ^tXeoJv. 
Also  Stat.  T/ied.  i ,  696  ff.  Phoebe  pa- 
rens., sen  te  Lyciae  Patarea  nivosis 
I  exercent  dumeta  iiigis,  sen  rore 
pudico  I  Castaliae  flavos  amor  est 
tibi  mergere  crities.  — Castaliae  :  a 
spring  on  Mt.  Parnassus  ;  for  a  va- 
riation of  the  place,  cf.  4,  6,  26  qui 
Xantho  lavit  amne  crinis.  —  solu- 
tos -.flowing;  cf.  i,  2t,  2,  and  n.  — 
Lyciae,  etc. :  according  to  the  De- 
lian  legend  of  Apollo,  the  god  spent 
the  six  summer  months  on  the 
island,  but  withdrew  for  the  other 
six  to  Patara,  in  Lycia. — natalem 


silvam :    in  Delos,  where  he  was 
born. 

65  ff.  vis  consili  expers,  etc.:  these 
words  sum  up  what  has  preceded, 
—  'mere  force,  blind  rebellion,  un- 
directed by  wisdom,  is  sure  to  fail ; 
but  when  properly  guided  it  enjoys 
the  favor  of  the  very  gods,  who  yet 
abhor  and  punish  reckless  strength 
that  urges  men  to  wickedness.  We 
have  as  a  proof  of  this  the  cases  of 
Gyas,  Orion,  and  the  rest,  whose 
lawlessness  brought  on  them  the 
divine  wrath.' 

—  mole  ruit  sua  :  rushes  to  ruin 
of  its  own  weight.  For  this  mean- 
ing of  ruo.  cf.  n.  to  I,  2,  25.  With 
this  sententia,  cf.  Eurip.  Frg.  732 
p(li[ii.y]  Se  T  dfjui6rj<i  TroAAaKts  tiktcl 
^\d(3r]v,  and  Pind.  P.  8,  15  fiia  8c 
KOL  fjLeydXavxov  (the  boastful)  lo-- 
<f>aX€v  iv  ^povcu. 

66  ff.  vim  temperatam :  con- 
trasted both  by  position  and  mean- 
ing with  the  preceding.  Intr.  28c. 
—  idem:  and  yet  they.  Cf.  2,  10, 
16.  —  viris:  here  not  distinguished 
in    meaning   from    the    singular. 


249 


3,  4.  68J 


HORATI 


70 


75 


omne  nefas  animo  moventis. 

Testis  mearum  centimanus  Gyas 
sententiarum,  notus  et  integrae 
temptator  Orion  Dianae, 
virginea  domitus  sagitta. 

Iniecta  raonstris  Terra  dolet  suis, 
maeretque  partus  fulmine  luridum 
missos  ad  Orcmn  ;  ne^  peredit 
impositam  celer  ignis  Aetnen, 


Note  the  cumulative  effect  of  vis, 
vim,  viris. 

69  ff.  Examples  of  the  punish- 
ment which  overtakes  those  indi- 
cated in  V.  68.  — testis,  etc.  :  with 
the  expression  and  asyndeton,  cf. 
Find.  Frg.  169  Schr.  Noyitos  6  -ko-v- 
Twv  (3aaiX€V<;  |  •  •  •  ayet  .  .  .  to 
/SiaioTaTov  I  VTrepraTa  X^'-P^-  '^^'^' 
fjuiipofjuii  I  epyoicnv  HpaxAeos-  '  Cus- 
tom, lord  of  all,  leads  most  forcibly 
with  mightiest  hand.  My  proof 
is  from  the  deeds  of  Heracles.'  — 
Gyas:  cf  2,  17,  14. 

70 ff.  notus:  I.e.  an  example  fa- 
miliar to  all ;  cf.  scimus,  v.  42. — 
temptator:  assailant;  only  here  in 
this  sense.  Cf  Stat.  Theb.  11,  12  f 
quantiis  Apollineae  iemerator  ina- 
tris Averno  \  tcnditiir. — virginea: 
i.e.  shot  by  the  chaste  Diana. 

73 ff.  iniecta,  etc.  :  one  cause  of 
Earth's  sorrow  is  that  she  is  forced 
to  be  the  burial  place  of  her  own 
offspring  (hence  monstris  suis). — 
monstris :  dative  with  both  iniecta 
and  dolet.     Intr.  100.  —  dolet  mae- 


retque :  notice  the  tense,— <?^'<';- 
suffers  and  mourns  for.  — partus  : 
particularly  the  Titans. — fulmine: 
with  missos. —  luridum:  ghastly; 
appropriate  to  the  lower  world.— 
nee  peredit:  the  volcanic  outbursts 
represent  the  struggles  of  the  mon- 
ster to  escape,  but  his  efforts  are 
all  in  vain,  for  his  punishment  is 
eternal.  With  the  gnomic  perfect, 
cf  V.  78,  reliquit.     Intr.  103. 

76.  impositam  .  .  .  Aetnen:  ac- 
cording to  Aeschylus  and  Pindar, 
Typhoeus  was  buried  beneath 
Aetna.  /-".  V.  363  ff.  kox  vvv  ayjiCiov 
/cat  Trapdopov  8e/iuzs  |  /cfiTat  crrei/w- 
TTOV  Tr\r)(TLOv  daXaaaiov  \  iTro-ufievoi 
ptS^atiTLV  AtTj/atais  vtto.  '  And  now 
he  lies  a  useless  outstretched  form 
hard  by  the  sea  strait,  weighed 
down  beneath  the  roots  of  Aetna.' 
Pind.  P.  I,  32  ff.  vvv  ye  fxav  |  rai 
6  VTrkp  Ki)/>ttts  dAtepKe'es  6)(0ai  \ 
Si/ccAmx  t  avTov  ttu^cl  crripva  Xo-X' 
vaevTa  ■  kiwv  o'  ovpavia  crvvexn.  | 
vKJiOiaa-'  AiTva.  '  But  now  the  sea- 
girt shores  past  Cumae  and  Sicily 


250 


CARMINA  [3,  5 

incontinentis  nee  Tityi  ieeur 
reliquit  ales,  nequitiae  additus 
custos ;  amatorem  trecentae 
So  Pirithoum  cohibent  catenae. 

likewise   press   down    his   shaggy  epulis  habitatque  sub  alto  \  pectore, 

breast ;  and  snowy  Aetna,  a  pillar  of  necfibrisrequies  datiir  ulla  renatis. 

the  sky,  holds  him  in  ward.'    Other  — additus  custos:  set  as  warder; 

forms  of  the  myth  place  Enceladus  implying   that  the  vulture  would 

there  (cf.n.  to  V.  56  above). —celer:  never  leave  him.     Cf.  Verg. /^.  6. 

swift  darting,  of  the  volcanic  fires.  90  nee  Tencris  addita  lutio  usquani 

77  f .  incontinentis :  the  position  aberit. 
emphasizes  Tityos'  crime  in  offer-  79  f .  Pirithous,  king  of  the  La- 

ing  violence   to    Latona.  —  iecur:  pithae,  and  Theseus  were  chained 

the  seat  of  passion,  at  which  the  to  a  rock  in  Hades  for  their  impious 

punishment    is    appropriately   di-  attempt   to  carry  off  Proserpina, 

rected.  —  ales:  cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  597 ff.  Theseus  was  rescued  by  Hercules, 

rostroque  innianis  7ioltiir  obunco  \  but  Pirithous  obtained  no  escape. 

inmortale  iecur  tondens  fec^fnda-  Cf.  4,  7,  27 f. — trecentae:  an  in- 

qiie   poenis  \  7<iscera   riniaturque  definite  number,  •  countless.'' 


i/ 


•While  Jove  is  sovereign  of  the  sky  and  Augustus  rules  on  earth, 
can  it  be  that  Crassus"  disgraceful  defeat  is  yet  unavenged!  Has  a 
Roman  soldier  so  forgotten  his  birthright  as  to  live  under  a  Median 
King,  married  to  a  barbarian  wife!  It  was  this  very  thing  that  Regu- 
lus'  wise  mind  foresaw  when  he  opposed  the  ransoming  of  our  soldiers 
captured  by  the  Carthaginians,  a  precedent  fraught  with  ill  for  later  times 
(1-18).  .  .  .  •' No,"  he  said,  "  let  those  who  yielded  die ;  will  they  be 
braver  when  bought  back  ?  No,  let  them  stay,  for  they  have  brought 
disgrace  upon  their  native  Italy  (19-40)."'  So  like  one  disgraced  he 
put  aside  his  wife  and  child,  and  stood  with  downcast  eyes,  until  the 
Senate  had  agreed  to  his  proposal ;  then  he  hurried  back  to  torture 
and  to  death  with  heart  as  light  as  for  a  holiday  (41-56)." 

The  ode  thus  treats  of  the  degeneracy  of  the  Roman  arms  and  the 
loss  of  military  prestige  which  Augustus  was  to  remedy  and  revive.  In 
the  first  strophe  the  allegory  of  the  preceding  ode  gives  way  to  plain 
speech.  The  date  of  composition  is  shown  bv  v.  3  to  be  27-26  B.C. 
Metre,  68. 

•  251 


3.  5.  0  HORATI 

Caelo  tonantem  credidimus  lovem 

t"     '       '-     ■  1-  ■     ,    ,    ,  -^ 
regnare  :  praesens  divus  habebitur. 

Augustus  adiectis  Britannis 

imperio  gravibusque  Persis. 

5  Milesne  Crassi  coniuge  barbara 

turpis  maritus  vixit  et  hostium 
(pro  curia  inversigue  mores  !) 
consenuit  socerorum  in  armis, 

sub  rege  Medo  Marsus  et  Apulus, 
10  anciliorum  et  nominis  et  togae 


vi£ 


I  ff.  caelo :  with  regnare,  in 
contrast  to  praesens  divus.  —  to- 
nantem :  giving  tlie  reason  for  the 
belief;  also  a  proper  epithet  of 
Jove. — credidimus:  gnomic  per- 
fect. Intr.  103.  —  praesens  divus  : 
a  god  in  very  presence ;  i.e.  on 
earth,  visible  to  men.  Cf.  Ovid. 
Trist.  4,  4, 20  superoruin  duorum,  \ 
qiiono/i  hie  {Augustus')  aspicitur, 
creditur  ille  {/uppiter)  deus.  2, 
54  per  te  praeseniem  conspic2ium- 
que  deum.  Verg.  G.  i,  41  tiec  tarn 
praesentis  alibi  cognoscere  diTos 
(licebat). — adiectis,  etc.:  when 
they  shall  have  been  added.  — 
gravibus :  vexing;  cf.  i,  2,  22. 

5  f .  milesne  :  a  sudden  burst 
of  indignation  aroused  by  the 
mention  of  the  Persians.  Plu- 
tarch, Crass.  31,  tells  us  that  ten 
thousand  Romans  surrendered  at 
Carrhae  in  53  BC.  and  settled 
among  the  Parthians ;  they  were 
actually  compelled  by  their  victors 
to   fight   with   them    against    the 


Romans.  —  coniuge  barbara:  abl. 
with  turpis;  cf.  i,  37,  9. — mari- 
tus :  emphasizing  the  disgrace,  for 
properly  there  could  be  no  conu- 
biurn  between  a  Roman  and  a  for- 
eigner. The  emphasis  is  contin- 
ued in  hostium  .  .  .  socerorum.  — 
vixit :  has  actually  lived. 

7  f.  pro  :  an  interjection.  — 
curia :  the  senate  house,  or  senate 
(cf.  2,  I,  14),  typical  of  all  that 
Rome  held  most  ancient  and 
sacred.  — consenuit :  almost  agen- 
ejation  had  passed  since  Carrhae. 
Aurel.  Victor  Epit.  32  says  with 
exaggeration  of  the  Prince  Vale- 
rian in  th6  third  century  •  A.D., 
Valeriaiius  .  .  .  in  Mesopotamia 
belhim  gerens  a  Sapore  Persarum 
rege  super atus,  mox  etiaju  captus, 
apud  Parthos  ignobili  seri'itute 
consenuit. 

9  f .  rege :  a  hateful  word  to  a 
Roman  ;  cf.  i,  37.  7.  —  Medo  Mar- 
sus et  Apulus  :  effective  juxtapo- 
sition.    The   Marsi  were   among 


25: 


CARMINA 


[3.  5.  20 


'5 


oblitus  aeternaeque  Vestae, 
incolumi  love  et  urbe  Roma? 

Hoc  caverat  mens  provida  Reguli 
diss^ntientis  condicionibus 
foedis  et  exemplo  trahenti 
perniciem  veniens  in  aevum, 

si  non  periret  immiserabilis 
captiva  pubes/  '  Signa  ego  Punicis 
adfixa  delubris  et  arma 
militibus  sine  caede '  dixit 


the  bravest  of  the  Italian  peoples 
(cf.  2,  20,  18)  ;  here  joined  with 
the  sturdy  Apulians  (cf.  1,22,  14), 
Horace's  fellow  countrymen.  —  an- 
ciliorum :  the  ancilia  were  among 
the  sacred  pignora  imperii,  and 
were  in  charge  of  the  Salii.  See 
CI.  Diet.  s.v.  Salii.  —  nominis  : 
sc.  Rovtani.  — togae  :  the  distinc- 
tive dress  of  the  Romans,  \h^gens 
togata. 

1 1  f .  aeternae  Vestae  :  the  ever- 
burning fire  on  the  hearth  of  Vesta 
was  symbolical  of  the  permanency 
of  the  state.  —  incolumi  love  :  i.e. 
'while  Jove's  temple  stands.' 
With  the  three  verses,  cf.  Florus 
2.  21,  3  pat7'iae.i  nominis.,  togae., 
fascium  oblitus  (^Antonins). 

13  ff.  hoc  :  emphatic,  it  was  this 
very  thing.  —  Reguli:  M.  Atilius 
Regulus,  consul  256  B.C.,  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Carthaginians  in 
Africa  in  255  B.C.  According  to 
the  common  tradition  he  was  sent 
to  Rome  in  250  B.C.  to  treat  for 


peace  or  to  obtain  at  least  an  ex- 
change of  prisoners,  but  persuaded 
the  Senate  to  decline  to  consider 
either  proposition.  Polybiusdoes 
not  refer  to  this  mission,  so  that 
the  correctness  of  the  tradition 
has  been  called  into  question,  but 
in  Cicero's  time  it  had  become  a 
favorite  commonplace.  Cf.  Cic. 
de  Off.  I,  39;  3,  99;  de  Oral.  3, 
1 09 ;  Livy  per.  18.  —  condicionibus 
foedis  :  i.e.  those  proposed  by  the 
Carthaginians.  —  exemplo  trahen- 
ti :  a  precede>it  destined  to  bring. 
17  f .  si  non  periret :  explain- 
ing exemplo  trahenti.  The  subj. 
represents  peribit  of  Regulus' 
speech.  For  the  quantity  periret 
see  Intr.  35.  —  signa:  this  would 
recall  to  the  Roman's  mind  Cras- 
sus'  standards,  still  in  the  hands 
of  the  Parthians.  —  ego  :  '  with  my 
own  eyes.'  —  militibus  sine  caede, 
etc. ;  note  the  ironical  contrast, 
'  soldiers  who  yielded  up  their 
arms  —  without  a  struggle.' 


253 


3.  5.  21] 


HORATI 


-5 


30 


'  derepta  vidi ;  vidi  ego  civium 
retorta  tergo  bracchia  libero 
portasque  non  clausas  et  arva 
Marte  coli  populata  nostro. 

Auro  repensus  scilicet  acrior 
miles  redibit.     Flagitio  additis 
damnum.     Neque  amissos  colores 
lana  refert  mediCata"  fuco, 

nee  vera  virtus,  cum  semel  excidit, 
curat  reponi  deterioribus. 
Si  pugnat  extricata  densis 
cerva  plagis,  erit  ille  fortis 


21  ff.  vidi ;  vidi  ego  :  Intr.  28  b. 
—  civium,  etc. :  yes,  citizens;  'free 
citizens  of  Rome  have  given  them- 
selves up  to  become  slaves.'  — 
libero:  their  free-born. — portas, 
etc. ;  '  the  Carthaginians  have  come 
to  despise  us  so  that  they  do  not 
take  the  precaution  to  close  their 
city  gates,  and  cultivate  again  the 
fields  our  army  devastated.' 

25  ff.  auro  repensus,  etc. :  said 
in  deepest  scorn  —  '  a  price  for- 
sooth (scilicet),  will  make  them 
better  soldiers.' — flagitio,  etc.: 
impatiently  disposing  of  the  pro- 
posal, —  '  besides  suffering  the 
present  disgrace  you  will  waste 
your  money.'  Cf.  Ps.-Eurip. 
Rhes.  102  al(T)(p6v  yap  rjfiiv  kol  Trpos 
ala)(vvr)  kukov.  —  neque  .  .  .  nee  : 
the  simile  is  stated  paratactically 
in  place  of  the  more  common  ut 
.  .  .  ita.  So  in  Greek,  <?.^.  Aesch. 
Sept.  584  f.  fjLrjTpo'i  re  TrXrjyriv  Tt'i 


KaraafiiatL  Slkt);  \  iraTpU  re  yaui 
(TTj'i  vTTo  cnrovBrj'i  Sopos  |  aKovaa 
TTO)?        CTOL      ^V/Ll)Lia^05      yevi](T€Tai ; 

'  What  atonement  can  quench  the 
sin  of  a  -mothers  murder?  How 
can  thy  native  land,  captured  by 
thy  incitement,  ever  be  thy  ally 
again.'  That  is  —  'even  as  .  .  ., 
so  .  .  .'  —  colores  :  the  natural 
color  of  the  wool  {simplex  ille 
candor.  Quint,  i,  i,  5),  lost  when 
the  wool  is  dyed.  —  medicata  :  a 
technical  expression,  containing 
the  same  figure  as  the  (ireek 
(fyapp^daaeiv.  Four  centuries  later 
Paulin.  Nol.  C.  17,  23  repeated 
the  phrase,  medicata  vellera  fuco. 
29  ff.  semel :  once  for  all.  — 
curat:  with  infinitive,  as  2,  13, 
39  f.  nee  curat  .  .  .  agitare.  — 
deterioribus :  i.e.  those  made  so 
by  loss  of  vera  virtus.  The  dative 
belongs  with  reponi.  —  si  pugnat. 
etc.  :  an   impossible   supposition. 


254 


CARMINA 


[3.  5.  4^ 


qui  perfidis  se  credidit  hostibus, 
et  Marte  Poenos  proteret  altero 


35 


qui  lora  restrictis  lacertis 
•^^erisit  rnersJtirriuitoue  mor 


tern. 


40 


Hie,  unde  vitam  sumeret  inscius, 
pacem  duello  miscuit.     O  pudor ! 
O  magna  Carthago,  probrosis 
altior  Italiae  rmtiisvT     ' 

Fertur  pudicae  coniugis  o^lilum 
parvosque  natos  ut,  capitis  minor 
ab  se  removisse  et  virilem 
torvus  humi  posuisse  voltum, 


45 


doriec  labgjitisjconsilio  patres 
firmaret  auctor  numquaifTalias-xlato, 


rC- 


Vt^<AXtv^ 


33  ff.  perfidis  :  contrasted  with 
credidit,  and  emphasizing  the  cow- 
ardice of  the  soldier  who  actually 
trusted  his  life  to  an  enemy  whose 
faithlessness  was  well  known. 
Punica  fides  was  proverbial.  Cf. 
also  4,  4,  49  perfidus  Hannibal 
and  n .  —  altero  :  a  second.  — 
iners :  predicate,  tamely. 

37  f.  hie :  vividly  continuing 
ille  of  \-.  32.  —  unde  sumeret : 
representing  the  anxious,  Jindc 
vita  in  sit  mam?  of  the  coward 
whose  anxiety  causes  him  to  for- 
get that  he  must  fight,  not  bar- 
gain, for  his  life.  —  duello :  this 
irchaic  form  for  bello  is  also  found 
\,  14,  18  ;  4,  15.  8.  — miscuit :  has 
failed  to  distinguish  between. 

40.  minis :  instrumental  abl. 
with  altior  —  exalted  over  the.  etc. 


41  ff.  fertur :  and  yet  men  say, 
used  to  introduce  a  surprising 
statement.  Cf.  i,  16,  13.  This 
quiet  account  of  Regulus'  deter- 
mination is  in  marked  contrast 
with  the  vehement  pathos  of  the 
preceding  strophe.  —  ut  capitis 
minor :  as  one  deprived  of  civil . 
rights,  equivalent  to  the  legal 
(prose)  formula  capite  deminutus. 
The  genitive  is  similar  to  the  geni- 
tive in  integer  vitae,  militiae  piger. 
Regulus  felt  that  as  a  captive  of 
the  Carthaginians  he  was  no  better 
than  a  slave,  who  of  course  pos- 
sessed no  civil  rights,  and  was 
therefore  unfit  to  enjoy  the  privi- 
leges of  a  Komdin  pater  familias. 

44.    torvus :  grimly. 

45  ff.   donee  .  .  .  firmaret,  etc.  ; 
while  ]>e  established  \  said  with  ref- 


5.47] 


HORATI 


5° 


55 


interque  maerentis  amicos 
egregius  properaret  exsul. 

Atqui  sciebat,  quae  sibi  barbarus 
tortor  pararet :  non  aliter  tamen 
dimovit  obstantis  propinquos 
et  populum  reditus  morantem 

quam  si  clientuiti  longa  negotia 
diiudicata  lite  relinqueret, 
tendens  Venafranos  in  agros 
aut  Lacedaemonium  Tarentum. 


erence  to  removisse,  posuisse.  — 
consilio  :  connect  with  firmaret.  — 
interque :  and  then  through  the 
midst  of.  —  egregius :  cf.  n.  to  i,  6, 
1 1.  With  the  oxymoron,  cf.  3, 3,38!'. 
Notice  that  two  points  are  brought 
out  in  this  strophe  :  Regulus'  moral 
courage  in  inducing  the  senate  to 
accept  his  proposal,  and  the  self- 
sacrifice  which  this  involved. 

49  ff.  atqui :  and  yet,  km  tol. 
Cf.  I,  23,  9.  —  sciebat:  he  knew 
all  the  while.  —  non  aliter  .  .  . 
quam  si :  as  undisturbed  .  .  .  as 
if.  —  tortor,  etc. :  the  tortures  to 
which  Regulus  was  subjected,  like 
the  whole  story  of  the  embassy, 
may  be  inventions  of  a  later  time. 
Cf.  n.  to  V.  13  ff.  —  obstantis  :  who 
tried  to  hinder  hi/n.  —  reditus  : 
plural  for  euphony. 

53  ff.  longa  :  wearisome.  —  diiu- 
dicata lite :  the  Roman  patronus 
of  the  Republic  was  bound  to  aid 
and  protect  his  clientes ;  whether 
the  suit  here  is  conceived  of  as  one 
which  Regulus  decided  as  arbitra- 


tor or  one  in  which  he  defended 
his  client's  interests  in  court  is  not 
clear.  —  tendens  :  taking  his  way, 
into  the  country  for  rest  and  re- 
freshment. —  Venafranos  agros  . . . 
Tarentum:  cf.  2,  6,  12-16  and  nn. 
Note  the  contrast  between  the 
earlier   part  of  the   ode  and   this 
quiet  close.     The   ode  is  one  of 
Horace's    noblest ;     its     nationa 
characteristics   are   well    summe 
up  by  Andrew  Lang  in  his  Lettc/ 
to  Dead  Aidhors,  p.  191  f.    '  Non 
but  a  patriot  could  have  sung  th;i 
ode  on  Regulus,  who  died,  as  01 
hero  died  on  an  evil  day,  for  th 
honor  of  Rome,   as   Gordon   ft 
the  honor  of  England.  .  .  .  W 
talk  of  the  Greeks  as  your  teacl 
ers.     Your    teachers    they    wer   ! 
but  that  poem   could   only   ha\  \ 
been  written  by  a  Roman.     Tl   i 
strength,  the  tenderness,  the  nobi  i 
and   monumental   resolution    ail  [ 
resignation  —  these  are   the   gif 
of  the  lords  of  human  things,  tl 
masters  of  the  world.'  ;- 


256 


CARMINA  [3,  6,  2 


In  the  last  ode  of  the  series  Horace  considers  the  reasons  for  the 
degeneracy  of  the  times.  These  he  finds  to  be  the  neglect  of  religion 
and  the  growth  of  immorality  that  is  destroying  the  family  and  making 
each  succeeding  generation  worse  than  the  one  which  preceded  it. 

'  The  sins  of  thy  fathers  shall  be  visited  on  thee,  Roman,  until  thou 
repairest  the  ruined  temples  of  the  gods  and  restorest  the  forgotten 
faith  of  an  earlier  time.  Thy  power  depends  on  thy  humility  toward 
Heaven ;  it  was  in  punishment  for  thy  indifference  that  the  Parthian, 
the  allied  Dacian  and  Ethiopian  almost  destroyed  our  city  (1-16). 
But  more  dangerous  than  foreign  foes  is  the  liood  of  immorality  that 
has  swept  over  our  state  :  all  modesty  and  respect  for  marriage  ties  are 
gone;  adultery  is  unabashed  (17-32).  It  was  not  the  offspring  of  such 
stock  as  this  that  saved  the  state  from  foreign  foes  in  earlier  days. 
There  is  no  hope :  we  are  worse  than  our  forbears  and  our  children 
will  be  more  degenerate  than  we  (33-48).' 

By  its  reference  to  the  loss  of  military  prowess  this  ode  is  naturally 
connected  with  the  preceding.  In  that,  devotion  to  duty  is  the  ideal ; 
here,  purity  and  simplicity  of  life,  as  exhibited  by  the  Sabine  stock. 
The  pessimistic  close  is  surprising  and  shows  that  the  six  odes  were 
hardly  composed  originally  to  form  a  series.  This  ode  was  probably 
written  soon  after  28  B.C.,  the  year  in  which  Octavian,  by  virtue  of  his 
censorial  power,  tried  to  enforce  ordinances  intended  to  check  the  evil 
tendencies  of  the  times.     See  also  n.  to  v.  2  below.     Metre,  68. 

Delicta  maiorum  irameritus  lues, 
Romane,  donee  templa  refeceris 

I  fE.    delicta    maiorum  :    espe-  regere  imperio  popidos,  Romane, 

cially  the  civil  wars.  88-31  B.C.  —  nietnento.  —  refeceris:  one  of  Oc- 

immeritus :  concessive,  '  although  tavian's  first  acts  after  his  return 

innocent    of    their    sins.'      With  from   the  conquest  of  Egypt  was 

the  idea,  cf.   Eurip.   Frg.   980  to.  to  rebuild  the  temples   that   had 

T-wv   TCKovTwi/  acftdXfJuoLT    €19  Tot>s  fallen  into  decay.     Cf.  Afon.  Atic. 

iKyovovi  I  01  df.o\  Tpiirovdiv.    Ezek.  4,  1 7  diio  et  octoginta  templa  deiim 

18,  2  *  The  fathers  have  eaten  sour  in  urbe consid  sextuni  (28  B.C.)  ex 

grapes,  and  the   children's   teeth  decreto  senatus  refect,  mdlo prae- 

ire  set  on  edge.' —  Romane  :  with  termzsso  quod  eo  tempore  refici  de- 

his  use  of  the  singular,  cf.  Ver-  bebat :    and   Suet.  Aug.  30  aedes 

jil's  famous  line  {A.    6,  851)  tu  sacras  vetustate  conlapsas  aid  in- 
HOR.  CAR. —  17                   257 


3.  6.  3] 


HORATI 


aedisaue  labentis  deorum  et 
roeda  nigro  simulacra  fumo. 


Dis  te  minorem  quod  geris,  imperas : 
hinc  omne  principium,  hue  refer  exitum. 
Di  multaneglecti  dederunt  J^ 

Hesperiae  mala  luctuosae.'  \ 

lam  bis  Monaeses  et  Pacori  manus 
non  auspicates  contudit  nnpetus 
nostros  et  adiecisse  praedam 
torquibus  exiguis  renidet. 


cendio  absiunptas  refecit.  — aedis  : 
here  synonymous  with  tenipla. — 
labentis ;  inoldering.  —  foeda  :  de- 
filed. 

5  ff .  quod  geris :  in  that  thou 
bearest  thyself ;  i.e.  *  thy  rule  de- 
pends on  thy  humility  toward  the 
gods/  Cf.  I,  12,  57  te  minor 
latum  reget  aeqiais  orbem.  — hinc, 
hue  :  i.e.  the  gods.  Cf.  Verg.  E.  3. 
60  ab  /o-ve  principium.  Also  Liv. 
45,  39,  10  maiores  vestri  omnium 
viagnarujn  rerttm  et  priticipia 
exorsi  ab  dis  sunt  et  finem  eum 
statuerunt.  —  principium  :  for  the 
scansion,  cf.  Intr.  39.  —  dineglecti : 
the  cause  of  Rome's  defeats  and 
dangers,  of  which  the  concrete  ex- 
amples follow.  —  Hesperiae :  Italy, 
cf.  2,  I,  32.  — luctuosae:  i.e.  for 
those  who  have  fallen  in  both  civil 
and  foreign  wars. 

9.  iam  bis,  etc. :  the  Romans 
had  actually  sulTered  three  defeats 
in  the  east :  that  of  Crassus  at 
Carrhae  53  B.C. ;  that  of  Decidius 
Saxa  by  Pacorus  in  Syria  40  B.C. ; 


and  that  of  Antony  in  Media  36 
B.C.  As  the  defeat  of  Saxa  was 
avenged  in  38  B.C.  by  Ventidius. 
Horace  may  refer  to  the  first  and 
third  disasters  only,  but  it  is  need- 
less to  demand  historical  accuracy 
of  a  poet  in  every  case.  The  only 
Monaeses  known  to  us  was  a  Par- 
thian noble  who  sought  refuge 
from  Phraates  IV  with  Antonius 
in  37  B.C. ;  he  afterwards  became 
reconciled  to  Phraates  and  de- 
serted Antony. 

10  ff.  non  auspicatos :  and  there- 
fore infaustos.  We  read  in  Veil. 
Pater.  2,  46  of  Crassus'  expedition 
proficiscentem  in  Syriam  diris 
cum  omitiibus  tribuni  plebis  frustra 
retinere  conati.  —  torquibus  :  the 
necklaces,  (jxpt-KTou  which  with 
armlets,  \\ik\ia,  presented  by  the 
king,  were  the  insignia  most  highly 
prized  by  the  Persians.  Cf.  Xen. 
Cyrop.  8,  2,  8  wo-Trep  cvta  (Swpa) 
Twv  /8ao"i\£a)s,  ij/ekia  /cat  (TTpCTTTOt 
KOL  iTTTTOi  )(pvaoxo.^i-yoL.  —  cxiguis  : 
in  comparison  with  the  rich  booty 


iSS 


I 


CARMINA 


[3.  6,  22 


15 


Paene  occupatam  seditionibus 
delevit  urbem  Dacus  et  Aethiops, 
hie  classe  formidatus,  ille 
missilibus  melior  sagittis. 

Fecunda  culpae  saecula  nuptias 
primum  inquinavere  et  genus  et  domos ; 
hbc  fonte  derivata  clades 
in  patriam  populumque  fluxit. 

Motus  doceri  gaudet  lonicos 
matura  virgo  et  fingitur  artibus, 


taken  from  the  Romans.  —  renidet : 
beams  with  delight ;  hence  used  like 
gaudet  (v.  21)  with  an  infinitive. 

13  ff.  paene  :  with  delevit.  — 
seditionibus ;  it  is  important  to  re- 
member that  there  was  a  strong 
party  in  Rome  hostile  to  Octa- 
vian,  so  that  the  reference  is  not 
simply  to  the  struggle  between 
him  and  Antony,  carried  on  out- 
side of  Italy.  The  point  which 
Horace  is  emphasizing  is  that  not 
only  had  the  Romans  failed  in 
their  attempts  against  foreign  foes, 
but  in  the  passion  of  civil  strife  had 
almost  handed  over  the  city  to  the 
meJ^cies  of  the  barbarian  Dacian 
and  Egyptian. — Dacus  et  Aethiops : 
Dacian  bowmen  served  in  Antony's 
land  forces,  while  the  Egyptian  na- 
val contingent  was  two  hundred 
ships.  That  the  Romans  about 
this  time  had  a  lively  fear  of  an 
invasion  by  the  Dacians  there  can 
be  no  doubt.      Cf.  n   to  i,  26,  3  f. 

17  ff.  Horace  here  turns  to  a  new 
cause  for  the  state's  degeneracy  — 


the  decay  of  domestic  virtue,  the 
growth  of  immorality.  With  the 
following  strophes,  cf.  3.  24, 19-24 ; 
4,  5,  21-24.  — fecunda:  dig  with. 
—  inquinavere:  cf.  Epod.  16,  64. 

21  ff.  motus  lonicos :  voluptu- 
ous dances  introduced  from  Ionia, 
motus  is  the  technical  expression 
for  a  mimetic  dance.  The  old- 
fashioned  Romans  did  not  look 
with  favor  on  dancing,  save  in 
connection  with  worship  :  custom 
had,  however,  somewhat  relaxed 
even  in  the  time  of  the  Gracchi. 
Macrobius  3.  14,  6f.  has  preserved 
the  complaint  of  Scipio  Africanus, 
who  bewailed  the  fact  that  boys 
and  girls  had  come  to  associate 
with  actors  and  learn  songs  and 

,  dances  which  a  former  generation 
would  have  considered  disgrace- 
ful for  a  freeborn  person  to  know. 

22  ff.  matura:  i.e.  tempestiiui 
viro  I,  23,  12.  "Even  if  these 
dances  and  airs  might  be  forgiven 
in  a  child,  they  cannot  be  over- 
looked in  a  full-grown    maid.'  — 

■59 


3.  6,  23] 


HORATI 


25 


iam  nunc  et  incestos  amores 
de  tenero  meditatur  ungui ; 

mox  iuniores  quaerit  adulteros 
inter  mariti  vina,  neque  eligit 
cui  donet  impermissa  raptim 
gaudia  luminibus  remotis, 

sed  iussa  coram  non  sine  coriscio 


3° 


surgit  marito,  seu  vocat  institor 
seu  navis  Hispanae  magister, 
dedecorum  pretioSus  emptor. 

Non  his  iuventus  orta  parentibus 
infecit  aequor  sanguine  Punico, 


l.tt' 


,^olu 


fingitur  artibus:  'she  learns  artifi- 
cial coquettish  ways.'  —  iam  nunc : 
i.e.  while  still  unmarried ;  opposed 
to  mox  V.  25.  —  de  tenero  .  .  .  un- 
gui :  in  imitation  of  the  Greek 
ef  dTraXwv  ovv^mv,  '  from  the  very 
quick.'  Translate,  —  to  her  very 
jfittger  tips.     Cf.  Anth.  Pal.  5,  129, 

I   ff.   TT^V  OLTTO  TTji;    AcTLTfi    6p)(7)(TTpi- 

Sa,  TTjv  KaKore^vots  |  <T')(iqpja.(Tiy 
i^  aTTaXoiv  KLVvfxiviqv  6vv-)(uiv,  | 
alviw  ...  '  The  dancing  girl 
from  Asia,  vibrating  to  her  very 
finger  tips  in  her  shameless  danc- 
ing figures,  her  I  praise.' 

25  flf.    mox :  i.e.  when  married. 

—  iuniores  :  i.e.  than  her  husband. 

—  neque  eligit :  presently  she  falls 
so  low  that  she  can  no  longer 
choose  the  recipients  of  her  favors, 
but  must  obey  the  orders  of  the 
lowest  peddler  or  ship  captain. 
Note  the  carefully  planned  con- 
trasts  between   neque   eligit   and 


iussa,  vocat ;  donet  and  emptor ; 
impermissa  gaudia  and  dedecorum ; 
raptim  and  coram;  luminibus  re- 
motis and  conscio  marito.  —  im- 
permissa :  coined  by  Horace. 

29  ff.  conscio  .  .  .  marito :  the 
corruption  of  the  household  is  so 
complete  that  the  husband  con- 
sents to  his  wife's  adulteries.  — 
institor:  while  the  peddler  be- 
longed to  a  despised  class  his 
trade  naturally  brought  him  into 
contact  with  the  women  of  the 
household.  Cf.  Seneca's  warning, 
F'rg.  52  H.  itisti tores  ge/nmarum 
sericarufuque  vestitiin  si  intromi- 
seris,  perictihan  piidicitiae  est.  — 
navis  .  .  .  magister :  also  belong- 
ing to  the  lower  classes,  but  like 
the  peddler  able  to  spend  money 
freely  (pretiosus  emptor). 

33  ff.  non  his: 'the  Romans  who 
made  Rome  great  were  sprung  from 
different   stock.'  —  infecit   aequor. 


260 


CARMINA 


[3,  6,  46 


40 


45 


Pyrrhumque  et  ingentem  cecidit 
Antiochum  Hannibalemque  dirum, 

sed  rusticorum  mascula  militum 
proles,  Sabellis  docta  ligonibus 
versare  glaebas  et  severae 
matris  ad  arbitrium  recisos 

portare  fustis,  sol  ubi  montium 
mutaret  umbras  et  iuga  demeret 
bobus  fatigatis,  amicum 

tempus  agens  abeunte  curru. 

Damnosa  quid  non  imminuit  dies  ? 
Aetas  parentum,  peior  avis,  tulit 


etc.  :  in  the  first  Punic  war,  264- 
241  B.C.,  vvhien  Rome  gained  her 
naval  supremacy.  —  Pyrrhiun :  Pyr- 
rhus  was  defeated  at  Beneventum 
275  B.C.  —  ingentem . . .  Antiochum: 
Antiochus  the  Great,  defeated  at 
Magnesia,  190  B.C.  —  dirum:  cf.  4, 
4,  42  dt'rus  Afer. 

38  ff .  Sabellis :  the  Sabines  were 
proverbial  for  purity  and  upright- 
ness. Cf.  Liv.  I,  18,  \  quo genere 
nulhiin  qjiondam  incorriiptius  fiiit . 
—  versare  glaebas  et,  etc. :  '  when 
the  field  work  is  done,  the  sturdy 
youth  must  still  cut  and  bring  in  a 
.supply  of  wood  to  satisfy  (ad  arbi- 
trium) his  stern  mother.' 

41  ff.  Observe  the  idyllic  note  in 
this  description  of  the  evening.  Cf. 
Epod.  2,  61  ff.  —  sol  ubi  mutaret, 
etc. :  '  as  the  day  closes  the  moun- 
tain shadows  shift  and  lengthen.' 
Cf.  Verg.  E.  i,  83  maioresque  ca- 
diint  alt  is  de  viontibtis  k /librae;  2, 


66  f.  aspice,  aratra  iiigo  refertmt 
siispensa  vivenci,  \  et  sol  crescentis 
decedens  djiplicat  umbras. — iuga 
demeret,  etc. :  so  Hesiod,  Op.  580  f. 
says  of  the  morning,  'Hws  •  .  .  crrt 
t,vya.  /SovcTL  Tid-qcnv.  —  mutaret,  de- 
meret :  the  subjunctives  are  proba- 
bly due  to  the  close  connection 
between  the  relative  clauses  and 
the  infinitive ;  they  are  possibly 
subjunctives  of  repeated  action,  but 
Horace  has  everywhere  else  the 
indicative  with  ubi  in  that  sense. — 
agens  abeunte  curru:  a  slight  oxy- 
moron ;  with  the  phrase,  cf.  Epist. 
I,  16,  6  sol  .  .  .  discedens  fugiente 
curru. 

45  ff.  The  thought  of  the  con- 
trast between  the  Romans  of  an 
earlier  time  and  those  of  his  own  day 
leads  Horace  to  his  hopeless  con- 
clusion. —  damnosa  :  damaging ; 
emphatically  expressing  the  poet's 
despair.     Notice  the  skillful  com- 


261 


3,  6,  4i>]  HORATI 

nos  nequiores,  mox  daturos 
progeniem  vitiosiorem. 

pression  by  which  Horace  has  de-  ttovto  \  ^(tipoTip-qv,  vixeii;  Se  KaKw- 

scribed  the  moral  decay  of  four  gen-  repa  refetecr^e.  — peior  avis  :  worse 

erations  in  three  verses.     Aratus.  than   that  of  our  grandparents. 

Phaen.  123  f.  was  less  successful,  — mox  daturos:  destined  soon  to 

wi\v  )(pv(T€Lr]V  Trarcpes  yevirjv  iXi-  produce. 

7 

The  unbroken  serious  strain  of  the  national  odes  is  relieved  by  these 
light  verses  addressed  to  Asterie,  whose  lover  is  kept  from  home  by 
opposing  winds.     The  names  are  Greek,  but  the  setting  is  Roman. 

'Why  dost  thou  weep,  Asterie,  for  thy  lover,  detained  by  winter 
winds  across  the  sea  ?  Be  assured  that  he  is  faithful,  and  ever  turns  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  messages  of  his  love-lorn  hostess,  who  would  tempt 
him  to  her.  Fear  not  for  him,  but  see  that  thou  remain  thyself  as 
true.  Yield  not  to  the  charms  of  thy  handsome  neighbor :  do  not  listen 
to  his  serenade.' 

There  is  no  indication  of  the  date.     Metre,  73. 

Quid  fles,  Asterie,  quern  tibi  candidi 
primo  restituent  vere  Favonii 
Thyna  merce  beatum, 
con  stands  iuvenem  fide, 

5  Gygen  }     Ille  Notis  actus  ad  Oricum 

post  insana  Caprae  sidera  frigidas 
noctis  non  sine  multis 
insomnis  lacrimis  agit. 

I  ff.  Asterie:  cf  the  Greek  names  sff.  Gygen  :  the  name  is  found 

'Ao-Tcpts  and  'AcrrT^p.    Also  n.  to  3,  in  Archil.  Frg.  25  Fvyr/s  o  Ttokv- 

9,21  sidere piilckrior.—c&nAidii...  XP^^^'^-  —  ad  Oricum:  Gyges  is  de- 

Favonii :  the  breezes  that  bring  in  tained  at  Oricum  in  Epirus.  directly 

the  bright  spring  weather.     Cf.  i.  opposite    Brundisium.  —  Caprae: 

4,  I  and  n.  —  Thyna:  i.e.  Bithyna;  this  constellation  sets  about  the 
cf.  1,35, 7.  —  \itdXvixa.:  enriched ;  cl.  middle  of  December,  when  the 
I,  4,  14.  —  fide:  genitive.  stormy  winter  season  begins. 

262 


CARMINA 


[3,  7.  22 


Atqui  sollicitae  nuntius  hospitae, 
suspirare  Chloen  et  miseram  tuis 
dicens  ignibus  uri, 

temptat  mille  vafer  modis. 

Vt  Proetum  mulier  perfida  credulum 
falsis  impulerit  criminibus  nimis 
casto  Bellerophontae 
maturare  necem  refert ; 

narrat  paene  datum  Pelea  Tartaro, 
Magnessam  Hippolyten  dum  fugit  abstinens, 
et  peccare  docentis 
fallax  historias  movet. 

Frustra :  nam  scopulis  surdior  Icari 
voces  audit  adhuc  integer.     At  tibi 


9  ft.  atqui :  corrective,  '  Yet  he 
might  console  himself,  for,'  etc.  — 
sollicitae:  sc.  ainore,  love-lorn. — 
tuis  :  like  thine.  Naturally  these 
are  not  the  words  of  Chloe's  mes- 
senger to  Gyges,  but  Horace's  to 
Asterie. — mille  vafer  modis:  skilled 
in  countless  wiles. 

12  ff.  The  classical  parallels  to 
the  story  of  Joseph  and  Potiphar's 
wife.  —  mulier:  Anteia  in  Homer 
(//.  6,  i6o).  Stheneboeain  tragedy, 
wife  of  Proteus,  king  of  Tiryns.  — 
perfida  credulum :  cf.  n.  to  i,  6,  9. 
— maturare  necem:  to  bring  an 
untimely  death.  —  refert:  i.e.  the 
nuntius  of  v.  9. 

17  ff.  narrat:  repeating  refert  in 
sense,  and  thus  connecting  the  two 
-trophes.  Intr.  29. — datum  .  .  . 
Tartaro :   a  variation    of  the   for- 


mula leto  datiis.  — Hippolyte  :  wife 
of  Acastus,  king  of  lolcus.  —  absti- 
nens :  in  his  sobriety.  —  movet :  sets 
a-going. 

21  ff.  frustra  :  note  the  emphatic 
position,  — yet  all  in  vain, '  for  the 
threats  implied  in  the  stories  of 
Bellerophon  and  Peleus  do  not 
move  thy  Gyges.'  —  scopulis  sur- 
dior: cf.  Eurip.  A  fed.  28  f.  m  8e 
TTCT/oos  rj  OaXaatTLO^  kAwSwv  aKovu 
vovdeTov/xevrj  cju'Xmv.  '  But  like  a 
rock  or  billow  of  the  sea  she  listens 
to  her  friends'  advice.'  Note  the 
oxymoron  in  surdior  .  .  .  audit. — 
Icari:  a  rocky  island  near  Samos. 
—  voces,  etc.  :  so  Vergil  says  of 
Aeneas,  A.  4,  438  f.  sed  nullis  ille 
movetur  \  fietibus,  ant  voces  iillas 
tractabilis  ajidit.  —  at  tibi  :  in 
sudden  transition;  cf  2,  18,9.-- 


263 


3.  7.  23]  HORATI 

ne  vicinus  Enipeus 
plus  iusto  placeat  cave, 

25  quamvis  non  alius  flectere  equum  sciens 

aeque  conspicitur  gramine  Martio, 
nee  quisquam  citus  aeque 
Tusco  denatat  alveo. 

Prima  nocte  domum  claude,  neque  in  vias 
30  sub  cantu  querulae  despice  tibiae, 

et  te  saepe  vocanti 
duram  difficilis  mane. 

Enipeus :   named  after  a  river  in  forein.     Also  Shylock's  warning, 

Tliessaly  ;  cf.  Hebrus  3,  12,  2.  Merchant  of  Venice  2,  5  <  Hear  you 

25 ff.  'This  dangerous  rival  ex-  me,  Jessica:  |  Lock  up  my  doors; 

eels  in  the  athletic  sports  practiced  and  when  you  hear  the  drum  )  And 

by  young  nobles;   Gyges  is  only  the  vile  squealing  of  the  wry-neck'd 

a  trader.'     For  riding  and  swim-  fife,  |  Clamber  not  you  up  to  the 

ming,  cf.  1,8,8;  3,  12,3.  —  flectere  casements  then  |  Nor  thrust  your 

equum:    in   elaborate    evolutions.  head  into  the  public  street.' — que- 

Gf.  Ovid  A.  A.  2,,  384  in  gyros  ire  rulae:  the plaintiiie. — despice:  lit- 

coactus  eqmis . — conspicitur:  is  the  erally,  look  down,  from  an  upper 

object  of  men'' s  eyes.  —  gramine  Mar-  story.  —  vocanti:  sc  Enipeo  ;  the 

tio:  i.e.  on  the  Campus  Martins.  participle  is  concessive.  —  duram: 

29  ff.  Cf.  Ovid   Am.  2,  19,  38  ^r?/^/,  predicate  adjective  with  te. — 

incipe  iam  prima  clatidere  nocte  difficilis :  unyielding. 


8 


/ 


To  Maecenas.  '  You  are  puzzled  then,  my  learned  friend,  over  my 
bachelor's  sacrifice  on  the  matrons'  Calends.  This  is  the  day  the  tree 
so  nearly  killed  me;  as  each  year  comes  round,  I'll  celebrate  the  season 
with  a  fresh  jar  of  long-stored  wine.  So  drink  deep,  Maecenas,  for  thy 
friend's  escape.  Let  go  the  cares  of  state  ;  our  border  foes  are  all  sub- 
dued or  vexed  by  their  own  quarrels.  Become  to-day  a  private  citizen  ; 
dismiss  your  serious  thoughts,  and  take  what  joys  the  passing  hour  now 
offers.' 

264 


\ 

CARMINA       \  [3,  8, 8 

In  this  strain  Horace  invites  his  patron  to  celebrate  with  him  the 
anniversary  of  his  escape  from  the  falling  tree  (2,  13).  The  date  is 
shown  to  be  March  i,  29  B.C.,  by  the  references  in  vv.  17-23.  Cotiso 
and  the  threatening  Dacians  were  subdued  in  the  campaigns  of  30-28 
B  c. ;  the  news  of  the  struggle  between  Phraates  and  Tiridates  for  the 
Parthian  throne  (cf.  n.  to  i,  26,  5)  probably  reached  Rome  in  January, 
29  B.C.  Furthermore,  at  the  time  of  composition  Maecenas  was  clearly 
at  the  head  of  the  state  and  Octavian  absent ;  but  the  latter  returned  to 
the  city  in  the  summer  of  29  B.C.  All  these  facts  tend  to  show  that  the 
occasion  of  the  ode  was  March  i  of  that  year,  and  since  this  is  evidently 
the  first  anniversary,  that  the  date  of  Horace's  escape  was  March  i,  30 
B.C.     Metre,  69. 

Martiis  caelebs  quid  agam  Kalendis, 
quid  velint  flores  et  acerra  turis 
plena  miraris,  positusque  carbo  in 
caespite  vivo, 

5  docte  sermones  utriusque  linguae  ? 

Voveram  dulcis  epulas  et  j.Ibum 
Libero  caprum  prope  funeratus 
arboris  ictu. 

1.  Martiis . . .  Kalendis  :  the  day  leartiing.  —  sermones  :  the  lore,  lit- 
of  the  A/'«/r(7««//a,  a  festival  shared  erature.  The  accusative  depends 
in  by  married  women  only.  On  on  docte ;  cf.  3,  9,  10  dulcis  docta 
this  day  the  matrons  carried  their  »iodos. — utriusque  linguae:  Greek 
offerings  to  the  temple  of  Juno  Lu-  and  Latin,  the  two  languages  of  the 
cina  on  the  Esquiline,  not  far  from  cultivated  Roman.  Cf.  Suet.  Aug. 
Maecenas'  residence.  The  festival  89  in  evolvendis  utriusque  linguae 
is  c!\\^A  femineae  Kalendae  hy  ]\x-  auctoribus. 

venal,  9,  53.     Naturally  Maecenas  6ff.  voveram :  z.^.  long  ago.  be- 

would  be  much  puzzled  over  the  fore  all  these  preparations.     The 

preparations  of  his  bachelor  (cae-  time  is  more  exactly  fixed  by  the 

lebs)  friend.  participle.  —  epulas:    the   regular 

2.  velint:  mean.  accompaniment  of  sacrifice.  —  al- 
4  f .  caespite  vivo  :  the  material  bum :  as  the  sacrifice  is  to  one  of 

of  his  improvised  altar.  Cf.  i,  19,  the  ^«.y«/^r/.— Libero  :  the  pro- 
13.  —  docte :  given  a  bantering  em-  tector  of  poets.  In  2,  17.  28,  how- 
phasis  by  its  position,  — for  all  thy      ever,  it  was  Faunus  who  saved  him. 

265 


3.  8,  9] 


HO  RATI 


'5 


Hie  dies,  anno  redeunte  festus, 
corticem  adstrictum  pice  demovebit 
amphorae  fumum  bibere  institutae 
consule  Tullo. 

Sume,  Maecenas,  cyathos  amici 
sospitis  centum,  et  vigiles  lucernas 
perfer  in  lucem  ;  procul  omnis  esto 
clamor  et  ira. 

Mitte  civilis  super  urbe  curas : 
occidit  Daci  Cotisonis  agmen, 
Medus  infestus  sibi  luctuosis 
dissidet  armis. 


gff.  anno  redeunte  :  cf.  the  Ho- 
meric TrepiTrXd/iAevos  cvtavrds,  and 
6".  2,  2,  83  sive  diem  festiiin  rediens 
ad-iiexerit  anntts.  For  annus  in  the 
sense  of  season,  cf.  Epod.  2,  29.  — 
corticem  adstrictum,  etc. :  cf.  i,  20, 
3  and  n .  —  fumum  bibere  :  the  apo- 
theca  was  so  placed  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  house  that  it  could  re- 
ceive the  smoke  from  the  fire,  which 
according  to  common  belief  aided 
the  ripening  of  the  wine.  Cf.  Colum. 
I,  6,  20  qiioniani  vina  celerius  7>e- 
tustescnnt,  quae  ftinii  q7ioda7n  te- 
nore  praecocem  maturitatein  tra- 
/iHut.  For  the  infinitive,  see  Intr. 
107. 

12.  consule  Tullo  :  Horace  prob- 
ably means  the  Tullus  whose  con- 
sulship fell  in  33  B.C.,  hardly  L. 
Volcacius  Tullus,  consul  66  b.c. 
Yet  cf.  3,  2\,  I,  where  the  vintage 
is  of  65  B.C. 

13 ff.  cyathos  .  .  .  centum:  pro- 


verbial, not  literal. — amici  sospitis: 
over  the  safe  escape  of.  The  geni- 
tive of  the  toast;  cf.  3,  19,  9f.  da 
lunae  .  .  .  novae,  da  noctis  mediae, 
da,  puer,  augur  is  Murenae.  Also 
Antiphan.  ap.  Athen.  10,  21  eyx*' 

6.\Vt]V  OiKpaTOV  ;  KvdOoV^  $€(i)V  TC   Kttl 

OeaLvwv  /xvpLov;.  —  perfer:  endure. 

—  in  lucem:  />.  of  the  dawn:  the  ad- 
jective vigiles,  •  transferred '  from 
the  subject  of  perfer,  emphasizes 
the  exhortation  to  continue  until 
morning.  Cf.  the  Emperor  Gallie- 
nus'  words  apud  Trebell.  Poll.  11 
sed vigiles  nolite extinguere  lychnos. 

—  procul  .  .  .  esto,  etc.  :  /.<?.  the 
revel  shall  not  degenerate  into  a 
brawl.     Cf.  i.  27.  3  and  n. 

i7ff.  During  Octavian's  absence 
Maecenas  was  in  charge  of  affairs 
at  Rome.  —  super:  colloquial  for 
the  more  common  de. — occidit: 
cf.  I,  28.  7  and  n.  — Cotisonis,  Me- 
dus; cf.  introductory  n.  and  nn.  to 


266 


CARMINA 


[3.9 


f2S 


servit  Hispanae  vetus  hostis  orae   - 
Cantaber  sera  domitus  catena, 
iam  Scythae  laxo  meditantur  arcu 
cedere  campis. 

Neglegens  ne  qua  populus  laboret, 
parce  privatus  nimium  cavere  et 
dona  praesentis  cape  laetus  horae  ; 
linque  severa. 


1 ,  26.  5  ;  3.  6,  14.  — sibi :  with  both 
infestus  and  luctuosis.     Intr.  100. 

—  dissidet :  used  absolutely:  cf. 
Theog.  763  f.  Trivw/Acv  ^api'evTa  /act' 
dAA^Aoicrt  Aeyovres,  |  /JirjBkv  tov 
Mi;Swv  SeiStdres  7r6Ae/u,ov. 

21  ff.  servit :  a  slave  too  is.  Cf. 
occidit  above.  The  verses  do  not 
tell  the  whole  truth  ;  cf.  n.  to  2,  6, 

2.  — sera:  in  the  predicate, /'//r'/^j^// 
late ;  for  he  has  been  a  vetus  hostis. 

—  domitus:  probably  with  refer- 
ence to  the  successes  of  Statilius 
Taurus  and  Calvisius  Sabinus  :  the 
latter  enjoyed  a  triumph  over  the 
Spaniards  in  28  B.C.  —  Scythae, 
etc. :  also  exaggeration :   cf.  2.  9, 


23  f.  —  laxo  .  .  .  arcu :  recog- 
nizing the  folly  of  further  resist- 
ance. 

25  f .  neglegens :  logically  paral- 
lel to  parce,  linque,  be  careless,  fol- 
lowed by  ne  .  .  .  laboret  because  of 
the  anxiety,  fear,  which  it  implies. 

—  parce:  somewhat  stronger  than 
the  common  7ioli.  Cf.  Verg.  A. 
3,  42  parce  pias  scelerare  manus. 

—  privatus  :  also  part  of  the  exhor- 
tation,—  'become  for  the  nonce  a 
private  citizen  once  more.' 

27!  A  favorite  maxim  repeated 
in  many  forms  ;  cf.  i,  9.  i3fF. ;  11, 
8  ;  2,  16,  25  ff. ;  3,  29,  41  ff. ;  4,  12, 
25  ff. 


\^ 


The  Reconciliation.  Lydia  and  her  lover  have  fallen  out,  but  are  now 
ready  to  return  to  their  former  love.  The  ode  dramatically  tells  the  story. 
In  the  first  strophe  the  lover's  reproaches  show  his  regret  and  hint  that 
he  is  willing  to  be  reconciled ;  Lydia  answers  in  similar  fashion,  but 
without  helping  him  on.  Then  each  defiantly  boasts  of  a  new  sweet- 
heart ;  but  in  the  last  two  strophes  the  lover  yields,  and  proposes  a 
reconciliation,  to  which  Lydia  joyfully  agrees. 

This  exquisite  ode  is  the  only  one  of  Horace's  lyrics  in  dialogue. 
The  amoebean  form  is  perfectly  preserved,  not  simply  in  the  number 
of  verses   employed  by  each  speaker,  but  in  the  exact  parallelism  of 

267 


,  9,  I]  HORATI 

xpression  as  well :  Lydia  always  caps  her  lover's  lines  with  stronger 
tatements.  The  verses  have  been  translated  and  imitated  by  almost 
ountless  writers  since  Horace's  day.  The  best  general  comment  on 
le  ode  is  furnished  by  Terence's  line,  Atidria,  555,  amantium  irae 
ntoris  integratio  est.     The  date  is  unknown.     Metre,  71. 

Donee  gratus  eram  tibA   ^^ 

nee  quisquam  po^ionbracchia  candidae 
cervici  iuvenis  dabat, 

Persarum  vigui  rege  beatior. 
5  Donee  non  alia  magis 

arsisti  neque  erat  Lydia  post  Chloen,/     ^, 
multi  Lydia  nominis,        a'-'"'-^     '  i  " 

Romana  vigui  elarior  Ilia. 
Me  nune  Thressa  Chloe  regit, 
10  duleis  docta^bdos  et  citharae  seiens, 

pro  qua  non  metuam  mori, 

si  parcent  animae  fata  superstiti. 
Me  torret  face  mutua  i-^  , ' 

ThilAni  Calais  filius  Ornyti, 

iff.  gratus:  in  favor  with. — po-  .  .  .  Ilia:  mother  of  Romulus  and 

tior:/ri?/'^rr^^,-cf. Tibul.  1,5,69«/  Remus.     Cf.  n.  to  i,  2,  17. 
tti,  qiii potior  nunc  es,  niea  fata  ti-  9  ff.  me :  emphasizing  the  lover's 

meto. — dabat :  in  place  of  the  prose  indifference.  —  Thressa  Chloe :  this 

compound     circumdabat.  —  Per-  name,  like  that  in  v.  14,  is  chosen 

sarum  .  .  .  rege:    proverbial  for  for  its    pleasant    sound. — docta: 

the  height  of  happiness.     Cf.  2,  2,  versed  in;  cf.  docte  serf  nones,  v.  5 

17. — y\%\a.:  flourished.  of  the  preceding  ode. — citharae: 

Sff.  alia:    causal  abl.  with  ar-  objective  gen.  with  seiens.     Cf.  i, 

sisti.  —  arsisti:    note  that  this  is  15,24^    Sthenelus seiens  \  ptignae. 

much  stronger  than  gratus  of  v.  i.  — animae:    my  life.,  i.e.  Chloe. — 

The   perfect   expresses   the  same  superstiti:     proleptic,   and  grant 

time  as  the  imperfect  eram  above.  that  she  may  live. 
—  post:    second  to.  —  multi  Lydia  13 ff.  torret:  this  word  far  out- 

nominis  :  a  Lydia  of  mighty  fame ;  bids  regit  of  v.  9.  —  Thurini :  of 

imitating  the  Greek  adjectives  iro-  Thiirii,  the  rich  and  luxurious  city 

Adwi/v/ios, /x£yaAtovu/u.os. — Romana  of  southern   Italy.      Lydia's  new 

268 


CARMINA 


[3.  lo, 


IS 


pro  quo  bis  patiar  mori, 

si  parcent  puero  fata  superstiti. 
Quid  si  prisca  redit  Venus, 

diductosque  iugo  cogit  aeneo, 
si  flava  excutitur-  Chloe, 

reiectaeque  patet  ianua  Lydiae  ? 
Quamquam  sidere  pulchrior 

ille  est,  tu  levior  cortice  et  improbo 
iracundior  Hadria, 

tecum  vivere  amem,  tecum  obeam  libens. 


lover  is  far  superior  in  birth  and 
fortune  to  Thracian  Chloe. — bis 
patiar :  again  capping  non  nietuam 

V.    II. 

17 ff.  redit:  the  present  is  col- 
loquially used.  —  diductos :  {us) 
who  are  now  separated.  —  iugo 
.  .  .  aeneo:  cf.  i,  33,  11. — 
flava  -.fair-haired.  —  excutitur :  i.e. 
from  her  rule  over  me. — Lydiae: 
dative. 


21  ff.  Lydia  teases  her  lover  with 
a  comparison  unfavorable  to  him 
before  she  yields,  and  so  has  the 
last  word  in  reproaches.  —  sidere 
pulchrior:  cf  3, 19,  zdpuro  similein 
Vespero.  The  comparison  is  very 
old ;  so  Astyanax  is  said  to  be, 
//.  6,  401  dAtyKiov  dcrrepL  KaXw. — 
levior:  and  so  more  fickle. — ira- 
cundior Hadria:  cf.  i,  33,  15. — 
libens:  gladly. 


10 


A  TrapaKkavcTLdvpov,  a  lover's  pleadings  before  his  mistress'  house, 
which  is  closed  against  him.     Cf.  i,  25,  yff.     Metre,  72. 

Extremum  Tanain  si  biberes,  Lyce, 
saevo  nupta  viro,  me  tamen  asperas 


iff.  extremum:  remotest;  cf.  2, 
18,  4  ulti>na  Africa.  —  si  biberes: 
i.e.  'were  dwelling  by  the  Don.' 
Cf.  2,  20,  20  Rodani  potor ;  and  4, 
15.  21  qui  profindum  Danuviuni 
hihiint.  —  saevo :  the  adjective  be- 


longs to  the  supposition,  and  marks 
the  contrast  with  the  actual  fact  (v. 
15).  For  the  supposed  virtues  of 
the  Sarmatian  nomads,  see  3,  24, 
19  f.  — asperas:  cruel;  cf.  Epod. 
II,  21  non  amicos postis. 


269 


3.  lo,  3] 


HORATI 


porrectum  ante  foris  obicere  incolis 
plorares  Aquilonibus. 

Audis  quo  strepitu  ianua,  quo  nemus 
inter  pulchra  satum  tecta  remugiat 
ventis,  et  positus  ut  glaciet  nivis 
puro  numine  luppiter  ? 

Ingratam  Veneri  pone  superbiam, 
ne  currente  retro  funis  eat  rota : 
non  te  Penelopen  difficilem  procis 
Tyrrhenus  genuit  parens. 

O  quamvis  neque  te  munera  nee  preces 
nee  tinctus  viola  pallor  amantium 


3f.  porrectum:  outstretched. — 
obicere:  object  of  plorares. — in- 
colis :  native  to  that  region. 

Sff.  The  lover  continues  his  ap- 
peal to  Lyce's  pity. — nemus  inter 
pulchra,  etc. :  the  second  court, 
peristyliit/)!,  in  the  houses  of  the 
rich  was  often  large  enough  to  con- 
tain trees.  Cf.  Epist.  i.  lo,  22 
lie  III pe  inter  varias  nntritur  silva 
columnas. — ventis:  abl.  of  cause. 
—  ut,  etc. :  the  question  belongs  by 
zeugma  to  audis,  the  exact  force 
of  which  has  been  lost  by  distance. 
— puro  numine:  in  cloudless  maj- 
esty (Smith).  Cf.  I,  34.  7.  — 
luppiter:  as  god  of  the  sky.  Cf. 
n.  to  r,  I,  25. 

II ff.  ne  currente,  etc.:  lest  the 
rope  slip  from  thee  as  the  wheel 
runs  back;  i.e.  thy  present  haughty 
virtue  is  sure  to  break.     The  figure 


is  that  of  a  wheel,  possibly  a  wind- 
lass, which  suddenly  flies  back- 
ward, carrying  the  rope  with  it.  — 
retro:  with  both  currente  and  eat. 
Intr.  100. — non  te,  etc.:  with  the 
order  and  expression,  cf.  Verg.  A. 
4,  227  f.  non  illtim  nobis  genetrix 
pulcherrima  talem  \  protnisit. — 
difficilem :  unyielding;  cf.  3,  7,  32. 
—  Tyrrhenus:  far  from  being  a  stern 
Sarmatian,  Lyce  is  of  Etruscan 
birth  ;  and  the  effeminacy  and  vices 
of  the  Etruscans  were  notorious. 

13  ff .  quamvis,  etc. :  the  indie,  is 
not  common  until  later.  —  tinctus 
viola  pallor  :  the  lover's  proper  color 
according  to  Ovid  A.  A.  i,  729 
palleat  omnis  amans  ;  hie  est  color 
aptus  amanti.  The  yellow,  not 
the  purple,  violet  is  meant. - 
paelice:  abl.  of  cause. — saucius: 
this  bears  the  emphasis,  *thy  hus- 


270 


CARMINA  [3,  1 1 

15  nec  vir  Pieria  paelice  saucius 

curvat,  supplicibus  tuis 

parcas,  nec  rigida  mollior  aesculo 
nec  Mauris  animum  mitior  anguibus  : 
non  hoc  semper  erit  liminis  aut  aquae 
20  caelestis  patiens  latus. 

band's  infatuation  for."     With  this  closes  is  comic,  like  that  in  Epod. 

use  of  the  adjective,  cf.  i,  14.  5.  11.  15-18,  where  he  vows  that  if 

— curvat:  equivalent  to  incurvat.  Inachia  persists  in  smiling  on  his 

fledity  iTnyvafiTTTei.  —  supplicibus  rich  rival,  he  will  give  her  up  to 

tuis  parcas:    in  irony,  as  if  Lyce  him. 

were  some  goddess  at  whose  shrine  19 f.  hoc:  z.e.  meuin;  cf.  Greek 

her  lovers  pray.  oSe,  dittos. — aquae  caelestis:  from 

18 ff.  Mauris  .  .  .  anguibus:  pro-  which  he  has  suffered  on  other  oc- 

verbially  savage.  —  non  hoc,  etc.:  casions  (cf.  v.  8). — latus:  equiva- 

the    threat    with    which    Horace  lent  to  corpus;  cf.  2,  7.  18. 


I  I 

'  Mercury  and  my  lyre,  on  you  I  call  to  raise  a  strain  of  music  which 
shall  make  stubborn  Lyde  listen  —  for  Lyde  is  as  shy  as  an  unbroken 
filly,  and  has  no  thought  of  love  and  wedlock  (1-12).  But  thou,  my 
lyre,  canst  charm  wild  beasts,  the  woods  and  rivers  ;  aye,  Cerberus  gave 
up  his  fierceness  before  thee ;  even  Ixion  and  Tityos  smiled,  forgetful 
of  their  pain  ;  and  Danaus'  cruel  daughters  had  respite  from  their  end- 
less toil  (13-24).  Ah  !  that  is  the  tale  to  which  Lyde  must  listen,  that 
she  may  learn  how  punishment,  though  sometimes  late,  overtakes  wrong- 
doers even  in  Hades.  And  I  will  sing  of  that  sister,  alone  worthy  of  the 
marriage  torch,  who  won  eternal  fame  by  her  noble  falsehood  to  her 
father,  for  she  saved  her  husband's  life,  and  feared  not  to  pay  forfeit  for 
it  with  her  own'  (25-52). 

The  ode  is  arranged  with  no  slight  skill :  the  invocation  of  the  lyre, 
and  the  celebration  of  the  power  of  music  in  the  first  six  strophes  are 
merely  a  setting  for  the  real  theme,  which  seems  first  suggested  by  the 
apparently  chance  mention  of  the  Danaids  in  v.  22  ff.  From  this  point 
Lyde  is  forgotten,  and  the  application  of  the  rest  of  the  ode  is  left  to  the 
reader's  imagination.     The  Romans  were  familiar  with  the  story  of  the 

271, 


3,  II,  I]  HORATI 

daughters  of  Danaus,  who,  compelled  to  marry  their  cousins,  Aegyptus' 
fifty  sons,  were  forced  by  their  father  to  promise  to  kill  their  husbands 
on  their  wedding  night,  — a  crime  for  which  they  suffered  eternal  pun- 
ishment. They  had  a  constant  reminder  of  the  myth  in  the  statues  of 
Danaus  and  his  daughters,  which  occupied  the  intercolumnary  spaces 
of  the  portico  to  the  temple  of  Apollo  on  the  Palatine.  Cf.  introductory 
n.  to  I,  31  ;  Prop.  3,  29,  3  ;  Ovid  Trist.  3,  i,  61.  The  story  is  essentially 
narrative,  and  proper  for  epic  treatment,  but  Horace  wisely  selected  for 
his  lyric  form  a  single  part  of  the  myth  —  the  story  of  Lycneus  and  Hy- 
permestra,  and  from  this  chose  the  dramatic  moment  when  Hyper- 
mestra  rouses  her  husband  and  bids  him  flee  for  his  life.  The  same 
good  taste  is  shown  in  his  treatment  of  the  story  of  Europa  3,  27  ;  but 
both  odes  are  in  marked  contrast  to  i,  15.  Ovid  followed  Horace  in 
handling  of  the  theme  in  his  Heroides  14.  The  treatment  there  should 
be  carefully  compared  with  this.     Metre,  69. 

Mercuri,  nam  te  docilis  magistro 
movit  Amphion  lapides  canendo, 
tuque  testudo,  resonare  septem 
callida  nervis, 

5  nee  l6quax  olira  neque  grata,  nunc  et 

divitum  mensis  et  arnica  templis, 
die  modos  Lyde  quibus  obstinatas 
adplicet  auris, 

iff.  nam :  giving  the  reason  for  sff.  loquax:  7/<7(rfl/.   Sappho  calls 

the  invocation. — docilis:    equiva-  to  her  lyre  />^.  45  aye  8^   x^^'' 

lent  to  doctus;  cf   i,  24,  (^  flebilis  8ta   /xot  |  ^tavdccrcra  yevoio.  —  et: 

equivalent    to  fletus.  —  Amphion:  used  only  here  and  4,  13,  6  at  the 

the  mythical  singer  to  whose  music  end  of  the  verse  without  elision 

the  walls  of  Thebes  rose.  Cf.  Epist.  of  the  last  syllable  of  the  preceding 

2,  3, 394  ff".  dktus  et  Amphion,  The-  word.  —  mensis  arnica,  etc. :  cf.  Od. 

banae  conditor  urbis,  \  saxa  movere  8, 99  (f>6p/xi.yy6^  6\  rj  Bairl  <Tvvi]op6? 

sono  testuditiis  et prece  blanda\du-  cctti  daXurf,  and  17,  270  ei/  Se  rt 

cere,  quo  vellet. — resonare:  depen-  <f>6pixLy$  r^irvu,  rjv  apa  Sam   6eoi 

dent  on  callida.  —  septem ...  «ervis :  TroLrjaav  iratprjv.     Also  i,  22,  I3f. 

the  lyre  is  called  by  Pindar  iV.  5,  — die  modos:  cf.  i,  32,  3.  —  obsti- 

24  <f>6pfjiiy$  iTTTdyXwaaros.  natas  :  stubborn. 


CARMINA 


[3.  ".  20 


'5 


quae  velut  latis  equa  trima  campis 
ludit  exsultim  metuitque  tangi,  /      / 

nuptiarum  expers  et  adhuc  protervp^  ^ 
cruda  marito. 

Tu  potes  tigris  comitesque  silvas 
ducere  et  rivos  celeris  morari ; 
cessit  immanis  tibi  blandienti 
ianitor  aulae 

Cerberus,  quamvis  furiale  centum 
muniant  angues  caput  eius  atque 
spiritus  taeter  saniesque  manet 
ore  trilingui ; 


gff.  For  the  comparison  of  a  girl 
to  a  colt  or  heifer,  cf.  i,  23.  i  ;  2, 
5,  6.  Also'  Anacr.  Frg.  75  TruiAe 
(dprjKir),  Ti  8-j  fie.  Xo$6v  ofi/xacnv 
likiirovfja.  \  VT^Aews  c^evyets,  BoK€€L<i 
be  fi  ovSev  elBivai  ao<f>6v ;  |  .  .  .  vvv 
o€  Aei/Acuvas  re  (SocTKeaL  Kovcfid 
T£  crKtpT(s)aa  Trat'^ets.  '  Thracian 
(illy,  why  now  dost  thou  look  dis- 
trustfully at  me  and  flee  without 
pity  ?  Deemest  thou  me  a  wit- 
less fellow  ?  Now  thou  grazest  on 
the  meadows  and  sportest,  lightly 
gamboling.' 

—  trima:  as  yet  unbroken,  for 
colts  were  broken  in  their  fourth 
year.  Verg.  G.  3,  190.  —  tangi: 
cf.  2,  2,  7  and  n.  —  cruda:  not  yet 
matura ;  cf.  Stat.  T/t.  7,  298  f. 
expertein  thalami  crudiimqiie  ma- 
ritis  I  ignibus. 

13  ff-  The  power  of  the  lyre.  Cf. 
the  similar  passage  i,  12.  gff.  and  n. 

HOR.  CAR.  — 18 


— comites  :  ///  thy  train ;  predicate 
with  both  tigris  and  silvas.  For 
the  position  of  -que,  see  Intr.  31. — 
cessit :  ga7>e  way  before  thy  charms 
(blandienti).  The  reference  is  to 
the  visit  of  Orpheus  to  Hades  to 
bring  back  Eurydice.  The  story 
is  told  Verg.  G.  4,  457  ff. ;  Ovid 
Met.  io,8fF.— immanis:  with  aulae. 

—  blandienti :  cf.  i.  12,  11  ;  24,  13. 
i7ff.  iviXiaX^:  fury-like. — eius: 

some  critics  would  reject  this 
strophe  as  prosaic,  and  especially 
because  eius  here  adds  nothing  to 
the  sense.  These  are  insufificient 
reasons  for  rejection,  for  Horace 
did  not  always  maintain  the  high- 
est level  in  his  verse.  —  spiritus: 
belonging  by  a  zeugma  to  manet. 

—  manet:  drops  from.  —  ore  trilin- 
gui: Cerberus  is  three-headed  in 
2,  19,  31  also,  but  hundred-headed 
2,  13»  34- 


273 


II,  21] 


HORATI 


quin  et  Ixion  Tityosque  voltu 
risit  invito  ;  stetit  urna  paulum 
sicca,  dum  grato  Danai  puellas 
carmine  mulces.  v.6l)lW'"i 


>6^' 


y 


25 


3« 


Audiat  Lyde  scelus  atque  notas 
virginum  poenas  et  inane  lymphae        '^^ 
dolium  fundo  pereuntis  imo,     ^^^^  \ 
seraque  fata 

quae  manent  culpas  etiam  sub  Oreo. 
Impiae  (nam  quid  potuere  mains  ?), 
impiae  sponsos  potuere  duro 
perdere  ferro. 

Vna  de  multis  face  nuptiali 
digna  periurum  fuit  in  parentem 


21  ff.  quin  et :  cf.  n.  to  i,  10.  13. 
—  voltu  .  .  .  invito:  i.e.  in  spite 
of  their  pain.  Ovid  expands  the 
scene  Met.  10,  4 iff.  exsangites 
flebant  animae:  nee  Tantalus 
undam  \  captavit  refugam,  stii- 
puitque  Ixionis  orbis,  \  nee  carp^ 
sere  iecur  volucres,  urnisque  va- 
cariint  \  Belides,  inque  tuo  sedistu 
Sisyphe,  saxo.  \  Tunc  primuin 
lacrimis  victaruvt  carmine  fama 
est  I  Eumenidum  maduisse  ge- 
nas.  —  stetit  urna,  etc. :  thus 
Horace  apparently  chances  on 
his  theme. 

25!  audiat:  the  asyndeton  is 
effective, — yes,  Lyde  shall  hear, 
etc.  —  notas  :  with  scelus  as  Well  as 
poenas.  —  lymphae  :  with  inane. 
For  the  order  of  words,  see  Intr.  21 . 


28  f .  sera :  concessive,  though 
late.  —  culpas :  Lyde's  sin  is  her  fail- 
ure to  love. 

30 f.  impiae  .  .  .  impiae:  Intr. 
28  c. —  potuere  :  first  of  physical, 
secondly  of  moral  courage  —  the 
Greek  erXriaav,  had  the  heart  to. 
— duro . . .  ferro :  the  Homeric  vt]Kk 

Notice  that  Horace  disposes  of 
the  general  features  of  the  story 
thus  briefly,  and  quickly  passes  to 
his  special  theme. 

33  f .  una  de  multis  :  only  Hy- 
permestra  of  all  the  fifty  failed  to 
execute  her  father's  orders. — per- 
iurum :  because  by  betrothing  his 
daughters  to  Aegyptus'  sons  he 
had  pledged  himself  to  do  them 
no  harm. 


274 


CARMINA 


[3.  H.46 


35  splendide  mendax  et  in  omne  virgo 

nobilis  aevum ; 

'  Surge  '  quae  dixit  iuveni  marito, 
'  surge,  ne  longus  tibi  somnus,  unde 
non  times,  detur ;  socerum  et  scelestas 
40  falle  sorores, 

quae,  velut  nanctae  vitulos  leaenae, 
siiigulos  eheu  lacerant.     Ego  illis 
mollior  nee  te  feriam  neque  intra 
claustra  tenebo : 

45  me  pater  saevis  oneret  catenis, 

quod  viro  clemens  misero  peperci ; 


35.  splendide  mendax :  a  strik- 
ing oxymoron  :  cf.  Tac.  Hist.  4,  50 
egregio  mendacio.  St.  Ambrose 
uses  the  phrase  0  beatmn  menda- 
cium.  Cf.  also  Tennyson's  '  His 
honour  rooted  in  dishonour  stood,  | 
And  faith  unfaithful  kept  him 
falsely  true.' 

37ff.  surge,  etc.:  cf.  Ovid  Her. 
14,  73  f.  surge  age.,  B elide,  de  tot 
modo  fratribus  unus  |  no x  tibi,  ni 
properas,  ista  perennis  erit.  Au- 
sonius  too,  Ephem.  i ,  1 7  ff.,  imitated 
Horace,  surge  nugator  lacerande 
virgis ;  \  surge,  ne  longus  tibi  som- 
nus, unde  I  non  times,  detur :  rape 
membra  molli.  \  Parmeno,  lecto.  — 
longus :  shown  by  the  context  here, 
as  in  2,  14,  19  and  4,  9,  27,  to  be 
equivalent  to  aeternus. — unde :  the 
antecedent  is  made  clear  by  the 
following  socerum  et,  etc. 

40.  falle :  Aa^e,  elude.  Cf.  1,10, 
■'^-  znAEpist.  I,  5,  2,1  postico  falle 


clientem.  —  sorores :  cotisins.  Cf. 
Ovid  Her.  14,  123  where  Hyper- 
mestra  says  si  qua  piae,  Lycneu. 
tibi  cur  a  sororis. 

41  ff .  The  comparison  and  the 
thing  compared  are  here  confused, 
as  often  by  Horace:  singulos  des- 
ignates the  sons  of  Aegyptus,  while 
lacerant  belongs  properly  only  to 
leaenae.  '  Each  destroys  her  hus- 
band, alas,  as  lionesses  rend  the  bul- 
locks they  have  made  their  prey.' 
The  figure  is  Homeric,  cf.  //.  5. 
161  f.  ws  8c  Aewv  ev  ySoucri  6opo)v 
e^  av^^eva  a^r]  \  tto/otios  rjk  /Sods- 
With  the  statement,  cf.  Hyper- 
mestra's  words,  Ovid.  Her.  14,  35  f. 
circum  me  gemitus  morientum  aii- 
dire  videbar;  \  et  tamen  audibam, 
quodque  verebar.  erat. 

44.  tenebo:  for  the  more  com- 
mon compound  retinebo. 

45 f.  me:  in  contrast  with  te  — 
*  thou  shalt  sutfer  no  harm,  and  as 


275 


3.  11.47] 


HORATI 


50 


me  vel  extremes  Numidarum  in  agros 
classe  releget. 

I  pedes  quo  te  rapiunt  et  aurae, 
dum  favet  nox  et  Venus,  i  secundo 
omine  et  nostri  memorem  sepulcro 
sculpe  querellam.' 


for  me,  let  my  father  do  his  worst.' 
—  oneret  catenis :  Ovid  makes  her 
write,  Her.  14, 3  clausa  domo  teneor 
gravibusque  coercita  vinclis.  —  Cle- 
mens misero :  effective  juxtaposi- 
tion ;  cf.  I,  5,  9;  2,  4,  6. 

47.  extremos:  cf.  3,  10,  i. 

49  f.  i . . .  i :  the  anaphora  marks 
her  eagerness. — pedes  .  .  .  aurae: 
all  inclusive,  'wherever  on  land 
and  sea.'  —  Venus :  it  was  she  who 
prompted  her  to  save  her  husband. 
In  Aeschylus'  lost  Danaids  {Frg. 
44)  it  was  Aphrodite  who  saved  Hy- 
permestra  from  condemnation. 

51  ff.  nostri :  of  me,  dependent  on 


memorem. — sepulcro:  for  the  case, 
see  Intr.  95.  —  sculpe  querellam : 
in  Ovid  Her.  14,  128  ff.  Hyper- 
mestra  suggests  her  own  epitaph, 
sadptaque  sint  titulo  nostra  sepul- 
chra  brevi:  \  '■Exul  Hypennestra., 
pretitun  pietatis  iriiqitinn,  \  quain 
mortem  fratri  depultt,  ipsa  tnlit.'' 
In  Trajan's  reign  a  woman  touring 
in  Egypt  scratched  this  reminis- 
cence of  Horace's  words  on  the 
pyramid  at  Gizeh,  CIL.  3,  21,  Vidi 
pyramidas  sine  te.,  dulcissime  /ra- 
ter, I  et  tibi  quod potiii.lacrimas  hie 
maesta  profudi  \  et  nostri  memo- 
rem  luctus  hanc  scidpo  qtierelam. 


12 

Neobule,  love-sick  for  her  Hebrus,  complains  that  she  cannot  give 
free  rein  to  her  love  or  wash  away  its  pain  in  deep  draughts  of  wine. 
All  interest  in  her  spinning  is  taken  from  her  by  the  thought  of  the 
beauty  of  her  lover,  who  excels  as  swimmer,  horseman,  boxer,  runner, 
and  hunter. 

There  has  been  some  discussion  among  critics  as  to  the  nature  of 
this  ode,  but  it  is  best  regarded  as  a  monologue.  It  is  the  only  experi- 
ment in  pure  Ionic  measure  that  Horace  has  left  us,  and  is  an  imitation 
of  verses  by  Alcaeus,  of  which  the  opening  line  is  preserved  {Frg.  59) 
€/u,e  SeiXav,  c/xe  TTttcrav  KiLKoraTiiiV  tz^i-)(pi(Ta.v ■  The  details,  however,  as 
usual,  are  Roman.     Metre,  83. 

276 


CARMINA 


[3.  12,  3 


Miserarum  est  neque  amori  dare  ludum  neque  dulci 

mala  vino  lavere,  aut  exanimari  metuentis 

patruae  verbera  linguae. 
Tibi  qualum  Cythereae  puer  ales,  tibi  telas' 

operosaeque  Minervae  studium  aufert,  Neobule, 

Liparaet  fntor  Hebri, 
simul  unctos  Tiberinis  umeros  lavit  in  undis, 

eques  ipso  melior  Bellerophonte,  neque  pugno 

neque  segni  pede  victus ; 


1.  miserarum  est,  etc.  :  con- 
trasting the  narrow  lot  of  girls 
with  the  freedom  of  young  men. 
—  dare  ludum :  give  free  rein  to. 
Cf.  Cic  pro  Cael.  28  datur  Indus 
aetati.  —  lavere  :  wash  away.  — 
aut :  or  else.  Cf.  3,  24,  24  et  pec- 
care  nefas  aut  ('  or  if  one  sin ') 
pretium  est  viori.  —  metuentis  : 
the  accusative  is  natural  following 
exanimari,  but  indicates  the  same 
unhappy  girls  as  miserarum.  — 
patruae,  etc. :  the  uncle  was  pro- 
verbially harsh  ;  cf.  6".  2,  3,  88  ne 
sis  patruus  mihi.  —  verbera  :  the 
scour gings. 

2.  Cf  Sappho  Frg.  90  yXvKtixx 

fl3.T€p     OVTOL     SwOL/JLOLL      KpiKrjV      TOV 

«TTOv  I  TToOiti  Sifx.u(Ta  TraiSo?  ^pa- 
8'viv  81'  'At^DoStTav, '  Mother  dear, 
I  cannot  mind  my  loom,  for 
through  soft  Aphrodite's  will,  I 
am  overcome  with  longing  for 
that  child,'  and  Landor's  imi- 
tation, '  Mother,  I  cannot  mind 
my  wheel,  |  My  fingers  ache,  my 
lips  are  dry.'  Also  Seneca  Phaed. 
103  f.  Palladis  telae  vacant  et  inter 
ipsas  pensa  labuntur  mantis. 


—  tibi:  in  self- address,  as 
Catul.  51,  13  otiiini,  Cattdle,  tibi 
molestuni  est.  —  qualum  :  wool  bas- 
ket ;  with  this  aufert  has  its  lit- 
eral sense.  —  operosae  Minervae: 
'A^Tjm  ipydvr),  the  goddess  of 
household  industries,  especially 
of  spinning  and  weaving.  —  Neo- 
bule :  the  name  seems  to  have 
been  taken  from  Archilochus ; 
■Frg.  73  is  supposed  to  have  been 
written  after  the  poet  has  lost 
his  love,  T]ix/3XaKov,  koI  ttov  tiv 
aAAov  ^S  arr]  Ki^-^craro.  —  Llpa- 
raei  :  0/  Lipara ;  the  epithet 
simply  individualizes.  Cf.  Opun- 
tiae  Megillae  i,  27,  10;  also  n.  to 
1,1,  13.  —  nitor:  brilliant  beauty, 
as  I,  19.  5. 

3.  simul  .  .  .  lavit:  connected 
closely  with  nitor.  For  the  cus- 
tom of  swimming  in  the  Tiber,  cf. 
I,  8.  8  and  n. ;  3,  7,  27  f.  Also 
Ovid  Trist.  3.  12.  21  nunc  ubi 
perfusa  est  oleo  labente  inventus  \ 
defessos  art  us  7>irgine  tinguit  aqua. 
—  Bellerophonte:  abl.  from  nom. 
Bellerophoiites ;  cf.  3,  7,  15. — 
■  segni :  with  both  pugno  and  pede. 


277 


3,  12,4]  HORATI 

4  catus  idem  per  apertum  fugientis  agitato 

grege  cervos  iaculari  et  celer  arto  latitantem 
fruticeto  excipere  aprum. 

4.    catus:   cf.  i,  10,3  and  n. —  Ad;(/u,»^  tt-vkivij  KareKciro /xeyas  <rvs. 

apertum:    substantive,   the   open.  Cf.  //.   11,  415  6  8e  t    e?cri  {i.e.  6 

—  agitato   grege :   witli    fugientis.  Ka.irpio<;)   ^aOcirj'i   iK   $vX.6xoi.o.  — 

—  arto  latitantem  fruticeto,  etc. :  excipere  :  to  catch. 
as   in   Od.    19,  439  tvBa.  8'  o.p  ev 

To  the  spring  Bandusia.  These  exquisite  verses  may  have  been 
occasioned  by  the  festival  of  springs,  the  Fontmalia,  which  fell  on 
October  13;  but  the  situation  of  the  spring  thus  immortalized  —  if 
indeed  it  ever  existed  outside  Horace's  fancy —  is  wholly  unknown.  A 
document  of  1103  a.d.  mentions  2i  fons  Bandusinns  near  Venusia,  but 
it  is  very  probable  that  this  is  an  identification  of  the  Middle  Ages 
rather  than  an  ancient  name.  Bandusia  seems  to  be  a  corruption  of 
IlavSoo-ta.,  and  may  have  been  given  by  Horace  to  the  large  spring  on 
his  Sabine  farm,  fons  etiam  rivo  dare  no/nen  idoneus,,Epist.  i,  16,  12. 
We  need  be  little  concerned,  however,  with  the  situation,  for  the  verses 
are  sufficient  in  themselves.     Metre,  73. 

O  fons  Bandusiae,  splendidior  vitro, 
dulci  digne  mero  non  sine  floribus, 
eras  donaberis  haedo, 

cui  frons  turgida  cornibus 

5  primis  et  venerem  et  proelia  destinat ; 
frustra :  nam  gelidos  inficiet  tibi 

if.    vitro:  crystal.     Cf.  Apul.  6.22  {Fontanalibus)  et  in  fontes 

Met.  I,  i^flttvius  ibat  argento  vel  coronas    iaciunt    et   puteos   coro- 

vitro  aemulus  in  colorem.  —  dulci  nant. 

digne,  etc. :  note  the  effective  al-  6  ff.   frustra :    the  knell,  all  in 

literation  and  assonance  here  and  iiain.      Cf.    3,   7.   21.  —  gelidos  : 

elsewhere  in  the  poem.     The  wine  cool   (and  clear),   contrasted  with 

was  poured  and  garlands  thrown  rubro.  r^^/(and  warm). — inficiet: 

into  the  spring;  cf.  Varro  L.  L.  stain. — lascivi :  sportive. 

278 


CARMINA  ■    [3,  14 

rubro  sanguine  rivos, 
lascivi  suboles  gregis. 

Te  flagrantis  atrox  hora  Caniculae 
10  nescit  tangere,  tu  frigus  amabile 

fessis  vomere  tauris 
praebes  et  pecori  vago. 

Fies  nobilium  tu  quoque  fontium, 
me  dicente  cavis  impositam  ilicem 
15  saxis  unde  loquaces 

lymphae  desiliunt  tuae. 

9  tf.  te  .  .  .  tu:  Intr.  28  c. —  — me  dicente:  from  my  song  of. 
hora  :  season  ;  the  '  dog  days  '  of  —  impositam  :  perched  upon.  — 
September.  Cf.  i,  17,  17. —  loquaces  lymphae  desiliunt:  the 
nescit :  stronger  than  a  colorless  Anacreontic  \aXov  vSoyp.  The 
ncquit.  —  frigus,  etc  :  the  bullocks  "prattle"  of  these  words  Words- 
rest  at  midday,  when  cool  draughts  worth  reproduced  by  inserting  a 
are  most  welcome.  letter,    •  Or    when   the   prattle  of 

13  ff.    fies   nobilium,  etc.  :  i.e.  of    Blandusia's    spring  |  Haunted 

the  fountains  celebrated  in  song.  his   ear,    he   only    listening.'     Cf. 

Castalia.    Dirce.  Hippocrene,  etc.  Epod.  \b.  \%  levis  crepante  tympha 

The  prophecy  has  been  fulfilled.  desilit pede. 


14 

The  following  ode  was  written  in  honor  of  Augustus'  return  to 
Rome  in  the  spring  of  24  B.C.  after  an  absence  in  the  West  of  nearly 
three  years. 

•  Our  Caesar,  a  second  Hercules,  comes  home  victorious  from  the 
Spanish  shore.  His  faithful  consort,  his  sister,  all  ye  matrons  with 
your  children,  should  give  thanks  to  the  gods.  For  me  this  day  puts 
all  care  to  flight :  so  long  as  Caesar  rules  I  have  no  fear  of  civil  strife 
and  violence.  So.  boy.  bring  unguent,  flowers,  and  good  old  wine, 
that  I  may  celebrate  this  festival.  Fetch  Neaera,  too:  yet  if  the  surly 
porter  hinders  you  —  well,  never  mind  :  my  hair  is  gray.  When  I  was 
a  hot-headed  youth.  I  would  not  have  stood  it." 

279 


3.  14.  I]- 


HORATI 


While  the  first  three  strophes  are  somewhat  stiff  and  formal,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  Horace's  welcome  was  sincere  and  that  the  fourth 
strophe  gives  the  basis  of  the  poet's  gratitude  —  the  sense  of  security 
and  peace  under  Augustus'  rule.  The  light  verses  of  the  last  three 
strophes  simply  expand  exitnet  ciiras  of  v.  14  and  show  Horace's  light- 
heartedness.     Metre,  69. 

Herculis  ritu  modo  dictus,  o  plebs, 
morte  venalem  petiisse  laurum 
Caesar  Hispana  repetit  penatis 
victor  ab  ora. 

5  Vnico  gaudens  mulier  marito 

prodeat,  iustis  operata  divis, 
et  soror  clari  ducis  et  decorae 
supplice  vitta 


I.  Herculis:  Augustus  was  fre- 
quently compared  with  Hercules ; 
cf.  3'  3»  9;  4»  5i  36;  Verg.  A.  6, 
802.  The  points  of  resemblance 
here  are  the  danger  of  the  under- 
taking and  the  victorious  return 
—  note  the  emphatic  position  of 
victor  (v.  4).- — ritu:  like,  after 
the  fashion  of.  Cf.  3,  29,  34 
fluminis  ritu,  '  like  a  river  ' ;  and 
3,  I,  45  f.  —  modo  dictus:  in  the 
winter  of  25-24  B.C.  Augustus 
had  been  sick  at  Tarraco  (Dio 
Cass.  53,  25),  so  that  fears  for  his 
recovery  may  well  have  been  en- 
tertained in  Rome.  —  plebs :  ye 
people :  used  here  like  popubis  in 
general  addresses  to  the  mass  of 
the  people,  not  restricted  to  the 
lowest  class.     Cf.  2,  2.  18. 

2ff.  morte  venalem,  etc. :  which 
men  buy  with  death.  Cf.  Quint. 
9,  3, 7 1  emit  morte  immortalitatem ; 


Aeschin.  in  Ctes.  160  ai/Aaros  eo-riv 
rj  apcTTj  wvia.  —  petiisse  :  sought  to 
win.     Note  the  play  with  repetit. 

—  Hispana  .  .  .  ora:  the  north- 
western coast  of  Spain.  Cf.  3,  8. 
21  and  n. 

5  f .  unico  :  her  one  dear ;  cf. 
2,  18,  14  unicis  Sabinis.  The 
word  implies  that  her  husband  is 
the  one  source  of  all  her  happi- 
ness. —  mulier :  Livia .  —  prodeat : 
i.e.  before  the  people  to  join  with 
them  in  thanksgiving  to  the  gods. 

—  operata:  in  technical  sense  like 
facere,  peC^tv,  to  sacrifice ;  cf. 
Verg.  G.  I,  339  sacra  refer  Cercri 
laetis  operatus  in  herbis.  —  divis  : 
called  iustis  because,  as  Porphyrio 
says,  they  have  granted  Augus- 
tus victory  and  a  safe  return  as 
he  deserved. 

7  ff .  soror :  Octavia.  —  supplice 
vitta :  in  place  of  the  simple  one 


280 


CARMINA 


[3.  14,  20 


virginum  matres  iuvenumque  nuper 
sospitum ;  vos,  o  pueri  et  puellae 
non  virum  expertae,  male  ominatis 
parcite  verbis. 

Hie  dies  vere  mihi  festus  atras 
eximet  curas  :  ego  nee  tumultum 
nee  mori  per  vim  metuam  tenente 
Caesare  terras. 

I,  pete  unguentum,  puer,  et  coronas 
et  cadum  Marsi  memorem  duelli, 
Spartacum  si  qua  potuit  vagantem 
fallere  testa. 


ordinarily  worn.  Augustus  had 
declined  the  triumph  which  the 
senate  proposed  for  his  return,  but 
there  was  probably  a  supplicatio  in 
its  stead.  —  virginum  :  the  brides 
of  the  iuvenum.  For  this  meaning 
oivirgo,  cf.  2,  8,  23.  —  nuper  sospi- 
tum :  just  now  returned  hi  safety. 
10  ff.  vos  :  the  last  of  the  three 
classes  here  distinguished  —  the 
matrons,  the  young  soldiers  with 
their  brides,  and  the  unwedded 
boys  and  girls.  —  non  virum  ex 
pertae :  i.e.  nonduni  rmptae.  — 
male  ominatis  :  the  hiatus  is  harsh, 
and  can  only  be  explained  on  the 
supposition  that  the  two  words 
were  regarded  as  expressing  a 
single  idea.  But  the  text  of  this 
entire  line  is  very  much  in  dispute. 
—  parcite  verbis:  cf.  Epod.  17.  6. 
The  meaning  is  the  same  as  3.  i. 
2  favete  lifiguis. 


13  ff.    vere  :   modifying  festus. 

—  curas :  i.e.  for  the  welfare  of 
Caesar  and  the  state. — tumultum  : 
civil  strife ;  cf.    4,   4,  47  and   n. 

—  mori  per  vim :    violent   death. 

—  tenente  Caesare  :  temporal,  so 
long  as,  etc.  With  this  expres- 
sion of  confidence,  cf.  4,  15, 
17-20. 

17  f .  The  requirements  for  his 
revel.  Cf.  2.  3,  13-16;  11,  17;  and 
Anacreont.  50,  10  f.  /3aX'  vBwp.  Sos 

OIVOV,      W      TTttt.     I     TYjV      XpV^V       fXOV 

Kapuicrov,  '  Throw  in  water,  give 
me    wine,  boy ;    dull  my  senses.' 

—  Marsi  memorem  duelli :  i.e.  the 
Social  War.  90-88  B.C.  Cf.  luv. 
5,  31  calcatainque  tenet  bellis  so- 
cialibus  7ivam. 

19.  The  roving  bands  of  gladi- 
ators under  the  lead  of  Spartacus 
harassed  Italy  73-71  B.C.  —  si 
qua  :  if  by  any  chance. 


3,  14,  21]  HORATI 

Die  et  argutae  properet  Neaerae 
murreum  nodo  cohibere  crinem  ; 
si  per  invisum  mora  ianitorem 
fiet,  abito. 

25  Lenit  albescens  animos  capillus 

litium  et  rixae  cupidos  protervae  ; 
non  ego  hoc  ferrem  calidus  iuventa 
consule  Planco. 

21.    With  this  summons  of  the  before   his  time;  so  he  describes 

music  girl,  cf.  2,  11,  21    fF. — die  himself,  Epist.  i,  20,  24f.  corporis 

.   .   .  properet :     iel/    Neaera    to  exigui,  praecanum,  solibus  aptum. 

hurry.     For  the  construction,  cf.  |  irasci  celerem,  tamen  ut  placabilis 

2,  1 1,22  f.  —  argutae :  Atyeui,  t/,?«r-  essevt.      With   the   sentiment,  cf. 

voiced;  cf.  4, 6,  25  argutae  Thaliae.  Epist.  2, 2, 21 1  lenior et nielior fis  ac- 

—  murreum  :     chestnut.  —  nodo  :  cedente  senecta.  —  iuventa  :  abla- 

i.e.  in  simple  coiffure.  —  ianitorem  :  tive. — consule  Planco  :  42  B.C.,  the 

at  the  door  of  the  apartment-build-  year  of  Philippi.     Eighteen  years 

ing    (insula)    in    which    Neaera  had  cooled  his  ardor  for  amours  as 

lives ;  he  is  called  invisum,  churl-  well   as   for   political  lost  causes. 

ish,    for    refusing   admittance    to  The  reminiscences  here  and  in  vv. 

such  messengers  as  Horace  sends.  18  and  19  are  intentional,  calling  up 

25  ff.     lenit    albescens,     etc.  :  the  contrast  between  those  troubled 

Horace  is  now  forty-one,  but  gray  times  and  the  present  peace. 


15 

This  ode  is  similar  in  subject  to  i.  25  ;  Epod.  5  and  8.  Chloris,  the 
shameless  wife  of  Ibycus,  wishes  in  spite  of  her  years  to  rival  her  own 
daughter.     Metre,  71. 

Vxor  pauperis  Ibyci, 

tandem  nequitiae  fige  modum  tuae 

I  ff.  uxor  pauperis  :  her  hus-  since  past.'  —  fige  :  stronger  than 
band's  poverty  she  makes  an  ex-  the  common  pone;  cf.  i,  16,  3. — 
cuse  for  her  infidelity. — tandem:  famosis  laboribus  :  •  wool-wprking 
impatiently  —  'your  day   is    long      (v.i3)wouldbemorefittingforyou." 

282 


CARMINA 


[3.  IS.  i6 


•5 


famosisque  laboribus ; 

mature  propior  desine  funeri 
inter  ludere  virgines 

et  stellis  nebulam  spargere  candidis. 
Non,  si  quid  Pholoen  satis, 

et  te,  Chlori,  decet :  filia  rectius 
expugnat  iuvenum  domos, 

pulso  Thyias  uti  concita  tympano. 
Illam  cogit  amor  Nothi 

lascivae  similem  ludere  capreae : 
te  lanae  prope  nobilem 

tonsae  Luceriam,  non  citharae  decent 
nee  flos  purpureus  rosae 

nee  poti  vetulam  faece  tenus  cadi. 


4  ff.  maturo  :  i.e.  for  which  you 
are  old  enough  ;  your  death  would 
not  be  premature.  —  propior  :  '■  now 
you  are  so  near.'  —  ludere  :  Trat^av. 
to  wantoti.  —  nebulam  spargere  : 
i.e.  '  to  obscure.'' 

7  ff.  satis  :  sc.  decet.  '  Pholoe 
is  young,  but  you —  ! ' —  expugnat : 
may  possibly  be  taken  literally. 
Cf.  Seneca.  Praef.  ad  N.  Q.  4.  6 
Crispus  Passienus,  saepe  dicebat 
adidationibus  nos  non  dander  e 
ostium,  scd  aperire,  et  quidem  sic, 
id  amicae  opponi  solet,  qttae  si  iin- 
pidit,  grata  est.gratior,  si  eff regit. 
—  Thyias:  cf.  n.  to  2,  19,  9. — 
tympano :  used  in  the  orgiastic 
worship  of  Bacchus;  cf.  i,  18,  14. 


II.  illam:  i.e.  the  daughter, 
Pholoe.  —  Nothi :  the  name  is 
known  from  inscriptions.  Possi- 
bly chosen  here  as  befitting  the 
subject  of  the  verses. 

13  ff .  lanae  :  nominative.  Spin- 
ning was  particularly  the  work  of  old 
women.  Cf.  Tibul.  i,  6,  77  f.  victa 
senecta  \  ducit  inops  irennda  sta- 
mina torta  manu.  —  nobilem  .  .  . 
Luceriam :  Apulian  wool  was  fa- 
mous for  its  excellence.  —  non 
citharae.  etc. :  '  It  is  not  for  you  to 
play  the  music  girl  at  revels.'  — 
poti:  passive. — vetulam:  effec- 
tively reserved  to  this  point.  — 
faece  tenus  :  cf.  i,  35,  27  cadis  citm 
faece  sicca t is. 


283 


3,  i6,  ij  HORATI 

i6 

'  Danae's  lot,  the  ruin  of  Amphiiaus'  house,  the  overthrow  of  cities 
and  defeat  of  rival  princes  by  the  Macedonian's  bribes,  all  show  the 
power  of  gold  to  harm  (1-16).  And  gains  when  made  but  feed  the 
greed  for  more.  I  have  done  well,  Maecenas,  to  follow  thy  example, 
and  to  shun  a  high  estate.  The  more  each  man  denies  himself,  the 
more  the  gods  bestow.  My  small  farm  with  its  clear  stream,  its  little 
wood,  and  faithful  crop,  makes  me  more  fortunate  than  the  lord  of  fer- 
tile Africa,  though  he  know  it  not  (17-32).  I  have  no  luxuries,  that  is 
quite  true  ;  yet  I  escape  the  pangs  of  poverty.  And  thou  wouldst  give  me 
more  if  I  should  wish.  No,  no  ;  increase  of  income  I  shall  best  attain 
by  lessening  my  desires.  Happy  is  that  man  on  whom  God  has  be- 
stowed little  and  enough  (33-44).' 

This  ode  thus  treats  Horace's  favorite  theme  :  the  powerlessness  of 
wealth  to  secure  happiness,  the  value  of  a  spirit  content  with  little. 
It  should  be  compared  with  2,  2,  and  16,  and  for  Horace's  personal 
desires  with  i,  31  ;  2,  18.  There  is  no  indication  of  the  date  of  com- 
position.    Metre,  72. 

Inclusam  Danaen  turris  aenea 
robustaeque  fores  et  vigilum  canum 
tristes  excubiae  munierant  satis 
nocturnis  ab  adulteris, 

5  si  non  Acrisium,  virginis  abditae 

custodem  pavidum,  luppiter  et  Venus 

I.    This   cynical  interpretation  imprisonment   and   its   futility.  — 

of  the  myth  by  which  the  golden  turris  aenea :  cf.  3,  3,  65. 
shower  in  which  Jupiter  descended  2  ff.    robustae  :  oaken  \  cf.  1,3, 

is  made  a  bribe,  is  also  found  in  9.  —  tristes  excubiae,  ^r/;;/ ^««rrt'. 

Ovid   Am.  3,   8,  29  flf.    luppiter,  — munierant:  cf.  n.  to  2,  17,  28. 

adnionitjis  nihil  est  patentius  auro,  — adulteris:  cf.  1,33,9. 
I  corrnptae  pretium  -virginis  ipse  6  ff.   pavidum  :  for  Acrisius  had 

fnit,  etc.     It  occurs  frequently  in  heard  from  an  oracle  that  he  was 

later  writers,  e.g.  Petron.   137  B.,  destined  to  die  by  the  hand  of  his 

Anth.  Pal.  ^,2x6.  —  inclusam  :  the  daughter's   child. — -Venus:    natu- 

position  emphasizes  the  fact  of  her  rally  Jove's  accomplice  in  this  mat- 

284 


CARMINA 


[3.  16,  14 


risissent :  fore  enim  tutum  iter  et  patens 
converso  in  pretium  deo. 

Aurum  per  medios  ire  satellites 
et  perrumpere  amat  saxa  potentius 
ictu  fulmineo  ;  concidit  auguris 
Argivi  domuSj  ob  lucrum 

demersa  exitio ;  diffidit  urbium 
portas  vir  Macedo  et  subruit  aemulos 


ter. — risissent  :  laughed  in  scorn. 
—  fore,  etc.  :  in  ind.  disc,  repre- 
senting the  thought  of  Jove  and 
\'enus.  —  converso  .  . .  deo  :  dative. 

9.  aurum  :  emphatically  con- 
tinuing pretium  of  the  preceding 
verse.  With  the  sentiment  of  the 
following,  cf.  the  words  Cicero 
attributes  to  Verres,  Verr.  i,  2,  4 
mhil  esse  tain  sanctum,  quod  non 
violart,  nihil  tarn  inunitutn,  quod 
non  expugnari  pecunia  possit. 
Also  Apul.  Met.  9,  18  cum  .  .  . 
auro  soleant  adamantinae  etiam 
perfringi  fores ;  and  Menand. 
Monost.  538  T^pucros  8'  dvot'yei  travra 
Kox  'AiSou  TTuAas.  —  per  medios  : 
i.e.  openly,  in  broad  daylight.  — 
satellites:  guards',   cf.  2,  18,  34. 

10.  perrumpere  :  notice  that 
this  word,  like  concidit,  diffidit, 
below,  expresses  the  method  by 
which  gold  attains  its  ends  —  it 
does  not  work  subtly  and  in  secret, 
but  bluntly  and  directly,  forcing 
its  way  against  all  opposition.  — 
amat:  is  wont.  —  saxa:  i.e.  'walls 
of,'  etc. 

11  ff.  concidit  .  .  .  diffidit :  note 


the  effect  of  position,  — fallen  is, 
etc.  —  auguris  Argivi :  Amphia- 
raus.  When  he  was  unwilling  to 
join  the  expedition  of  the  Seven 
against  Thebes,  for  he  foresaw  it 
would  end  in  disaster  and  cost 
him  his  own  life,  Polynices  bribed 
Amphiaraus'  wife,  Eriphyle,  with 
the  necklace  of  Harmonia  to  induce 
her  husband  to  go.  Their  son  Alc- 
maeon  slew  his  mother  in  anger 
at  his  father's  death,  and  after- 
wards, like  Orestes,  was  haunted 
by  the  Furies. 

14  f .  vir  Macedo  :  Philip,  father 
of  Alexander  the  Great.  It  was 
said  (Plut.  Aemil.  Paul.  12)  that 
his  conquests  were  made  by  means 
of  bribes  on  ras  ttoAcis  atpet  tcuv 
EAAt^vwv  ov  <E>t'Ai7r7ros.  dAAa  to 
^lXlttttov  )(pvcriov.  The  Delphic 
oracle  has  advised  him  to  'fight 
with  silver  spears."  Cicero,  ad 
Att.  I,  16,  12,  quotes  a  saying  of 
his,  Philippus  omnia  castella  ex- 
pugnari posse  dicebat  in  quae 
tnodo  asellus  omistus  auro  posset 
ascendere.  —  aemulos  reges  :  the 
rival  claimants  of  the  throne. 


285 


3.  i6,  15] 


HORATI 


15  reges  muneribus ;  munera  navium 

saevos  inlaqueant  duces. 

Crescentem  sequitur  cura  pecuniam   u 
maiorumque  fames  ;  iure  perhorrui 
late  conspicuum  tollere  verticem, 
20  Maecenas,  equitum  decus. 

Quanto  quisque  sibi  plura  negaverit, 
•  ab  dis  plura  feret.     Nil  cupientium 
nudus  castra  peto  et  transfuga  divitum 
partis  linquere  gestio, 


15  f.  muneribus  ;  munera  :  with 
bribes ;  yes,  bribes,  I  say.  Intr.  28  b. 

—  navium  duces  :  some  see  here  a 
reference  to  Menas  (or  Mene- 
dorus),  the  freedman  of  Cn.  Pom- 
pey  and  admiral  of  Sextus  Pom- 
pey,  who  in  38  B.C.  deserted  to 
Octavianus ;  afterwards  he  re- 
turned to  his  earlier  allegiance, 
only  to  desert  again.  —  saevos  : 
stern  though  they  be.  —  inlaqueant : 
ensnare. 

17  f.  crescentem,  etc. :  a  com- 
mon sentiment.  Cf.  Theoc.  16, 
64  f.  a.vripi6ixo<;  8c  ot  eii;  dpyvpo<;, 
aiei  Se  TrXedvwv  €^01  t/ixepos  avTov, 
'  His  be  unnumbered  wealth,  but 
may  a  longing  for  more  ever  pos- 
sess him.'  luv.  14,  139  crescit 
amor  nummi,  quantum  ipsa  pe- 
cunia  crevit.  —  fames  :  cf.  Epist. 
I,  18,  23  argenti  sitis  importmta 
famesque ;  Verg.  A.  3,  57  auri 
sacra  fames . 

19  f.  late  conspicuum :  prolep- 
tic,  so  that  it  could  be  seen  afar. 

—  equitum  decus  :  Maecenas   was 


a  good  example  of  the  moderation 
Horace  is  urging:  although  pos- 
sessed of  great  wealth  and  influ- 
ence, he  modestly  decHned  political 
preferment.     Cf.  n.  to  i,  i,  i  ;  20,  5. 

21  f.  plura,  .  .  .  plura  :  the 
context  in  this  paradox  shows  the 
meaning.  By  the  first  plura  Hor- 
ace means  money  and  the  unes- 
sential things  which  it  procures, 
'  this  world's  goods ' ;  by  the  sec- 
ond, the  real  goods  which  cannot 
be  bought,  but  are  gifts  from 
heaven,  —  a  contented  mind  and 
ability  to  find  happiness  in  simple 
things.  —  nil  cupientium:  and  so 
content.  Cf.  Maximian.  i,  54  et 
rerum  domittus  nil  cupiendo  fid. 

23  f .  nudus :  i.e.  leaving  all  en- 
cumbrances of  wealth  and  luxury. 
— transfuga :  continuing  the  figure 
of  the  soldier  eager  to  leave  the 
party  (partis)  to  which  he  now 
belongs,  and  flee  to  the  opposite 
camp.  —  divitum  :  and  therefore 
discontent,  contrasted  with  nil 
cupientium. 


286 


CARMINA 


[3.  1 6,  34 


contemptae  dominus  splendidior  rei, 
quam  si  quicquid  arat  impiger  Apulus 
occultare  meis  dicerer  horreis, 
magnas  inter  opes  inops.  — 

Purae  rivus  aquae  silvaque  iugerum 
paucorum  et  segetis  certa  fides  meae 
fulgentem  imperio  fertilis  Africae 
fallit  sorte  beatior. 

Quamquam  nee  Calabrae  mella  ferunt  apes, 
nee  Laestrygonia  Bacchus  in  amphora 


25  f .  contemptae  :  i.e.  by  those 
who  do  not  know  the  source  of 
true  happiness.  —  splendidior  :  in 
the  sight  of  the  wise.  — arat :  put 
for  the  product  of  the  field.  Cf. 
the  use  trahunt.  2,  18.  8.  For 
the  quantity,  see  Intr.  35. — 
impiger  Apulus :  cf.  Epod.  2,  42. 
Apulia  was  very  productive  accord- 
ing to  Strabo  6,  284. 

27  f .  occultare  :  a  poetic  variant 
for  condere  i,  i,  9.  —  magnas: 
used  like  saevos,  v.  1 6  above.  —  inter 
opes  inops  :  an  oxymoron  express- 
ing the  difference  between  the 
common  view  and  the  correct  one. 
Cf.  Epist.  I.  2,  56  semper  avarus 
eget.  Horace's  phrase  clung  in 
men's  minds :  Paulinus  of  Nola 
at  the  end  of  the  fourth  century 
reproduced  it  exactly,  28,  292  inter 
opes  inopes ;  Seneca  with  a  slight 
variation,  Epist.  74,  4  in  diviitis 
inopes,  a  phrase  St.  Ambrose  re- 
peated three  centuries  later. 

29  f.  Horace  describes  his  farm 


Epist,  I.  16.  —  rivus:  cf.  Epist. 
I,  16,  12,  quoted  in  introductory  n. 
to  3, 13. — segetis  :  possessive  gen. 
—  certa  fides  :  cf .  3,1,30  fundus 
Diendax  ^luA  n. 

31  f.  fulgentem  imperio,  etc. : 
the  proconsul  of  Africa  is  probably 
meant,  although  it  is  possible  that 
we  should  think  rather  of  a  great 
landed  proprietor.  The  provinces 
of  Asia  and  Africa  were  assigned 
each  year  to  the  two  oldest  men 
of  consular  rank  eligible.  —  fallit 
sorte  beatior :  happier  in  lot  es- 
capes the  notice  of,  i.e.  is  a  happier 
lot.  although  he  does  not  know  it. 
than  that  of  etc.  The  Latin  lan- 
guage having  no  present  participle 
of  esse,  is  unequal  to  the  task  of 
imitating    the    Greek   idiom  Xav- 

Ba.Vf.1  oXjSniiTipOV  ov. 

33  ff.  Examples  of  the  luxuries 
possessed  by  the  rich.  Cf.  i,  31, 
5  ff. :  2,  16,  33  ff.  —  Calabrae  .  .  . 
apes  :  cf.  2.  6,  14  f.  —  Lystrygo- 
nia  :  Formian.      See  introductory 


287 


3,  16,  35] 


HORATI 


35  languescit  mihi,  nee  pinguia  Gallicis 

crescunt  vellera  pascuis, 

importuna  tamen  pauperies  abest, 
nee,  si  plura  velim,  tu  dare  deneges. 
Contraeto  melius  parva  eupidine 
40  vectigalia  porrigam 

quam  si  Mygdoniis  regnum  Alyattei 
eampis  continuem.     Multa  petentibus 
desunt  multa ;  bene  est  cui  deus  obtulit 
parca  quod  satis  est  manu. 


n.  to  3,  17  for  the  name;  for  the 
wine,  cf.  n.  to  i,  20,  10. — lan- 
guescit :  grows  mellow ;  cf.  3,21, 
8  languidiora  vina.  —  Gallicis  .  .  . 
pascuis :  Cisalpine  Gaul  produced 
a  fine  white  wool  according  to 
Pliny  N.  H.  8,  190. 

37.  importuna  :  the  worry  of. 
Horace  would  have  called  himself 
pauper,  a  man  of  small  estate  ;  the 
point  he  is  making  here  is  that  he 
is  not  so  poor  that  he  suffers  from 
the  worries  of  extreme  poverty. 

38.  Qi.2.\%,\7.i.\  Epod.\,i\i. 
39  f.    contraeto  .   .  .  eupidine, 

etc.  :  cf.  2,  2,  9  ff.  —  vectigalia : 
income.  'The  less  a  man  desires, 
the  farther  he   can  make  his  in- 


come go.'  Cf.  Cic.  Par.  6,  49 
O  di  immortales  I  Non  intelligunt 
homines  quam  magnum  vectigal 
sit  parsimonia. 

41  f.  Mygdoniis  :  Phrygian ; 
cf.  n.  to  2,  12,  22. —  Alyattei; 
Alyattes  was  the  father  of  Croesus 
and  founder  of  the  Lydian  king- 
dom.—  eampis:  dative  with  con- 
tinuem :  Join  to  (so  that  I  should 
be  monarch  of  both  realms). 

43  f .  bene  est :  colloquial ;  cf. 
Catul.  38,  I  male  est.  —  quod  satis 
est :  what  is  just  enough.  With 
the  sentiment,  cf.  Sen.  Epist.  108, 
1 1  is  minimo  eget  mortalis,  qui 
minimum  cupit,  quod  vuli,  habet. 
qui  velle  quod  satis  est  potest. 


17 

'  Come,  Aelius,  child  of  the  long  Lamian  line  which  sprang  from 
ancient  Lamus,  that  lord  of  Formiae  and  of  Marica's  strand,  a  storm  is 
threatening.  Before  it  breaks,  lay  in  a  stock  of  dry  firewood ;  to-mor- 
row shalt  thou  make  merry  with  thy  household.' 


CARMINA 


[3.  17.  8 


These  verses  are  addressed  to  L.  Aelius  Lamia,  apparently  the  friend 
named  i,  26,  8  (cf.  36,  8).  The  Lamian  family  was  not  prominent 
before  Cicero's  time  and  the  name  does  not  appear  in  the  consular  fasti 
until  2  A.D. ;  during  the  first  century  of  our  era,  however,  the  house 
was  one  of  the  most  distinguished.  The  Lamus  to  whom  Horace  play- 
fully refers  his  friend's  ancestry  is  none  other  than  Homer's  cannibal ' 
king  of  the  Laestrygonians,  Od.  10,  81.  The  scene  is  Lamia's  country 
place  :  the  occasion  unknown.     Metre,  68. 

Aeli  vetusto  nobilis  ab  Lamo, 
quando  et  priores  hinc  Lamias  ferunt 
denominatos  et  nepotum 

per  memores  genus  omne  fastos, 


5 


auctore  ab  illo  ducis  originem 
qui  Formiarum  moenia  dicitur 
princeps  et  innantem  Maricae 
litoribus  tenuisse  Lirim 


1.  This  verse  of  address  is  left 
hanging  without  a  verb,  but  is  re- 
sumed by  V.  5  ff.  — nobilis  :  almost 
'  ennobled  by  the  descent  from ' ; 
translate,  noble  child  of. 

2  ff.  quando  :  with  ferunt. 
These  verses  are  inserted  to  sup- 
port Aelius'  relation  to  old  Lamus 
— '  Since  all  Lamiae  before  thee, 
trace  their  line  back  to  Lamus, 
thou  too  must  be  one  of  his  de- 
scendants.'—  hinc:  i.e.  ab  Lamo; 
cf.  Verg.  A.  i,  21  f.  hitic  popidum 
late  regem  belloque  superbui/i  \ 
venturum,  and  Hor.  C.  i,  12,  17 
unde  equivalent  ab  love. — nepo- 
tum :  descetidants. 

4.  memores  .  .  .  fastos  :  family, 
not  public,  records  are  meant ;  see 
introductory  n.  The  phrase  is  re- 
peated 4,  14,  4  pe?'  titulos  mentor es- 
que  fastos. 


5  ff.  auctore  ab  illo :  resuming 
V.  I.  —  Formiarum  moenia:  For- 
miae  is  identified  with  the  capital 
of  the  Laestrygonians  first  per- 
haps by  Cicero,  ad  Att.  2,. 30  ;  the 
Augustan  poets  adopted  the  iden- 
tification, while  the  Greeks  placed 
the  city  near  Leontini  in  Sicily. 
—  Maricae:  Maricds.  An  Italian 
nymph  ;  according  to  Verg.  A.  7, 
47  the  mother  of  Latinus  by  Fau- 
nus.  She  was  worshiped  in  the 
marshes  near  Minturnae,  where 
the  Liris  loses  itself  in  lagoons ; 
hence  innantem,  that  overflcnus. 
Cf.  Mart.  13,  83,  I  f.  caeruleus 
nos  Liris  amat,  quetn  silva  Mari- 
cae I  protegit. 

9  f .  late  tyrannus  :  the  Homeric 
f.vpv  Kpf.io}v,  cleverly  applied  to 
the  Homeric  (cannibal)  chief. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.   i,  21  late  regem  of 


19 


289 


3.  17.  9]  HORATI 

late  tyrannus,  eras  foliis  nemus 
lo  multis  et  alga  litus  inutili 

demissa  tempestas  ab  Euro 
sternet,  aquae  nisi  fallit  augur 

annosa  cornix  ;  dum  potes,  aridum 
compone  lignum  ;  eras  genium  mero 
rs  curabis  et  poreo  bimenstri 

cum  famulis  operum  solutis. 

the   Roman   people.  —  alga  ...  13  ff.    Lamia's  holiday  is  to  be 

inutili :    proverbial ;    cf.   6".    2.    5,  celebrated  in  simplicity,  like  one 

8  vilior  alga.  of    Horace's    own.  —  eras,    etc. : 

12  f .    aquae  .   .  .  augur  :    the  notice  that  this  verse  has  tlie  same 

Greek  {i£To/u,avTts-     Cf.  3,   27,  10  lilt  as  v.  9  above. — genium :  the  at- 

imbruim    divina    avis    imminen-  tendant    self,    a    kind     of    guar- 

tum.     Also  Arat.  1022  f.  ;^ei/Au>vos  dian    angel;    the   Greek    Sat/Acuv. 

ytttya  (TTjfjjx  Kcii  ivvedvetpa  Kopwvrj  \  The   phrases  geiiio  indulgere,  ge- 

vvKTcpov   detSouo-a.  —  annosa  cor-  nmm  p/acare,  etc.,  are  common, 

nix:  the  crow  lives  nine  times  as  Wine  was  the  regular  oiTering  to 

long  as  man  according  to  Hesiod  the  Genius  as  a  pig  was  to   the 

■^fg-     193    eVvax   TOL   ^wet    yeveas  Lares. — bimenstri:    the   earliest 

XaKepv^    Kopdtvr]  |  avS/Dwv    rj/Siuv-  age  at  which  the  animal  might  be 

TO)v,   and  cf    the   quotation  from  sacrificed.  —  operum:  forthecon- 

Aratus  above.  struction,  cf.  2,  9,  17  and  n. 

18  I 

A  hymn  to  Faunus  as  protector  of  the  flocks  and  herds.  The  occa- 
sion, as  the  tenth  verse  shows,  was  not  the  great  city  festival  of  the 
Lupercalia  on  February  15,  but  the  country  celebration  which  fell  on 
the  5th  of  December.  The  first  two  strophes  contain  the  prayer  for 
the  god's  favor;  the  remaining  two  describe  the  holiday.     Metre,  69. 

Faune,  nympharum  fugientum  amator, 
per  meos  finis  et  aprica  rura 

I.  The  character  of  the  Greek  n.  —  fugientum  amator:  juxta- 
Pan  is  given  to  his  Italian  coun-  posed  in  playful  irony  — '  they  flee 
terpart,   Faunus.     Cf.  i,  17,  2  and      for  all  thy  love.' 

290 


CARMINA 


[3,  i8,  i6 


lenis  incedas,  abeasque  parvis 
a^quus  alumnis, 

si  tener  pleno  cadit  haedus  anno, 
larga  nee  desiint  Veneris  sodali 
vina  eraterae,  vetus  ara  multo 
fumat  odore. 

Ludit  herboso  pecus  omne  campo, 
cum^tibi  nonae  redeunt  Decembres; 
festus  in  pratis  vacat  otioso 
cum  bove  pagus ; 

inter  audacis  lupus  errat  agno's,' 
spargit  agrestis  tibi  silva  frondis, 
gaudet  invisam  pepulisse  fossor 


ter  pede  terram. 

3  f .  Notice  the  chiastic  order. 
— incedas  abeasque:  not  of  a 
single  occasion,  but  'in  thy  re- 
visitings.'  —  aequus  :  /«  kindli- 
ness. —  alumnis :  the  young  of  herd 
and  flock  :  cf.  3,  23,  7  dnlces  alumni 
{non  senile  fit)  grave  lenipns. 

5  ff.  si  tener.  etc. :  the  condi- 
tions on  which  the  poet  hopes  for 
the  god's  favor.  —  pleno  anno  :  ab- 
lative of  time,  al  the  year's  comple- 
tion. —  cadit :  i.e.  as  victim ;  sc.  tibi. 

—  Veneris  sodali  .  .  .  eraterae : 
Love  and  Wine  are  boon  compan- 
ions. Cf.  the  proverb  'AcfipoBiTr] 
KUL  Atovuo-os  ficT  aXXrj\u)v  £t<rt.  — 
vina:  for  the  plural,  cf.  i,  2,  i${. 

—  vetus  ara.  etc.  :  asyndeton'. 

9  ff.  herboso  .  .  .  campo :  in 
the  Italian  climate  the  fields  are 
green  in  December.  —  tibi:  dative 
of  reference,   t/iy.  —  festus  :    cor- 


responding in  emphasis  to  ludit 
above. — otioso:  /ree  frotn  work 
(for  the  day) .  —  pagus  :  the  conn- 
try  side.  '  Man  and  beast  alike 
share  in  the  holiday.' 

13.  audacis :  grown  bold,  for 
Faunus  protects  the  sheep  against 
the  wolves.  Cf.  Prud.  Cath.  3, 
158  f.  inipavidas  lupus  inter  oves 
tristis  obainbulat .  —  spargit,  etc. : 
in  the  poet's  imagination  the  wood 
joins  in  honoring  the  god ;  cf. 
Verg.  E.  5.  40  spar  git e  humum 
foliis  {i.e.  in  honor  of  Daphnis). 

15  f.  invisam  .  .  .  terram : 
hated  as  the  source  of  all  his  toil. 
—  pepulisse,  etc.  :  i.e.  in  the  dance, 
the  tripudium.  'With  the  ex- 
pression, cf.  Ovid  Fast.  6,  330  et 
viridem  celeri  ter  pede  pulsat  hu- 
mum. —  fossor  :  i.e.  the  common 
peasant. 


291 


3,  19.  I]  HORATI 


19 

'  You  prate  of  ancient  genealogies  and  wars,  but  never  a  word  do  you 
say  on  tlie  real  questions  of  the  moment — how  much  we  shall  pay  for  a 
jar  of  wine,  how,  where,  and  when  we  shall  drink.  Come,  a  toast. to 
the  Moon,  to  the  Night,  to  oui  friend  Murena,  the  augur.  The  wine 
shall  be  mixed  as  your  tastes  demand ;  give  music,  scatter  flowers,  and 
let  old  Lycus  hear  our  din  and  envy  our  light  loves.' 

Horace  thus  dramatically  portrays  a  company  which  has  fallen  into 
serious  conversation  on  mythological  subjects,  and  forgotten  the  pur- 
pose of  the  gathering.  In  the  first  two  strophes  he  recalls  his  compan- 
ions from  their  soberer  talk  ;  then  suddenly  assuming  the  character  of 
magister  bibendi,  he  names  the  toasts,  the  strength  of  the  wine  that 
shall  be  used,  and  calls  for  fiowers  and  music.  The  occasion  for  the 
ode  may  have  been  a  symposium  in  Murena's  honor  (v.  10  f.),  but  it  is 
more  likely  that  the  poet's  imagination  gave  the  impulse  for  the  lines. 
They  should  be  compared  with  C.  i,  27.  The  date  of  composition 
cannot  be  determined.     Metre,  71. 

Quantum  distet  ab  Inacho 

Codrus,  pro  patria  non  timidus  mori, 
narras  et  genus  Aeaci 

iff.  Such  remote  mythological  mater Hecubae'' f  '■  qjiod Achilli no- 

questions  were  no  doubt  frequently  men  ititervirginesfiiisseV?  'quid 

discussed  by  litterateurs  in  Hor-  Sirenes  cantare  shit  solitae'' f  — 

ace's  day,  as  they  were  later.     luv.  distet:  in  point  of  time.  — Inacho: 

7,  233  if.  gives  the  kind  of  question  the  first  mythological  king  of  Ar- 

the  poor  schoolmaster  must  be  pre-  gos.     Cf.  2,  3,  21. — Codrus:  the 

pared  to  answer  off-hand  —  dicat  \  last  king  of  Athens ;  he  provoked 

nutricem  Anchisae,  nomcn  patri-  his  own  death  because  of  an  oracle 

amqjie  novercae  \  Anchemoli,  dicat  that  the  enemy  would  defeat  the 

qiiot  Acestes  vixerit  annis,  etc.    Cf.  Athenians  if  they  spared  the  life 

Mayor's  note.  Tiberius  was  fond  of  of  the  Athenian  king.  —  mori:  for 

proposing  similar  questions  :  Suet.  this  construction,  see  Intr.  108. 
Tib.  70  maxiine  tamen  curavit  no-  3  f .  narras :  you  babble,   collo- 

titiam   historiae  fabularis,  usque  quial.  —  genus    Aeaci:    Telamon 

ad  ineptias  atque  derisum.     Nam  and  Peleus,  with  their  descendants, 

et  grammaticos  .  .  .  eius  modi  fere  Ajax,  Teucer,  Achilles,  and  Neop- 

quaestionibus  experiebattir :  '■quae  tolemus,  all  of  whom  engaged  in 

292  , 


CARMINA 


[3.  19.  14 


5 


et  pugnata  sacro  bella  sub  Ilio : 
quo  Chium  pretio  cadum 

mercemur,  quis  aquam  temperet  ignibus, 
quo  praebente  domum  et  quota 

Paclignis  caream  frigoribus,  taces. 
Da  lunae  propere  novae, 

da  noctis  mediae,  da,  puer,  auguris 
Murenae.     Tribus  aut  novem 

miscentur  cyathis  pocula  commodis. 
Qui  Musas  amat  imparis, 

ternos  ter  cyathos  attonitus  petet 


the  war  against  Troy. — pugnata . . . 
bella :  cf.  4,  9.  19  pugnavit  proelia  ; 
Epist.  I,  16,  25  bella  tibi  terra  pug- 
nata marique. —  sacro  .  .  .  sub  Ilio: 
the  Homeric  "lAtos  ipri-  Neuter 
here  as  i,  10,  14. 

5  ff.  The  really  important  ques- 
tions of  the  moment.  The  carouse 
is  a  avfjL^oXr],  one  to  which  each 
participant  makes  a  contribution. 
— Chium  :  the  Chian  was  a  choice 
wine.  —  quis  aquam.  etc:  to  mix 
with  the  wine,  for  the  evening  is 
chill. — quo  praebente,  etc.:  cf.  S. 
I,  5,  38  }  fur  en  a  praebente  dot/mm, 
Capitone  culinatn.  —  quota :  sc. 
flora.  —  Paelignis  .  .  .  frigoribus: 
cold  like  that  among.,  etc. — taces  : 
never  a  word  do  you  say. 

gff.  Three  toasts.  —  da:sc.  f/<z- 
thos.  —  lunae . . .  novae :  the  Roman 
month  was  originally  lunar,  so  that 
this  is  equivalent  to  a  toast  to  the 
New  Month,  as  we  drink  a  health 
to  the  New  Year.  With  the  geni- 
tives lunae,  noctis,  Murenae  giving 
the  subjects  of  the  toasts,  cf.  3,  8, 

293 


13.  So  in  Greek,  e.g.  Marcus  Ar- 
gent. Anth.  Pal.  5,  109,  i  f.  €yx«' 
Au(rt8tKr;s  KvaBovi  Sexa,  t^s  8c  tto- 
Qi.ivr\<i  I  FiVcf)pdvTr}i  Iva  fioi,  Xdrpi, 
St'Sou  KvaOov-  Theoc.  14,  18  f.  ISo^' 
iTTi'XUdOaL  OLKpaTOV  I  <i)  Tivos  ■^deX' 
€Kao-Tos,  '  We  decided  that  each 
should  toast  whom  he  wished  in 
unmixed  wine." 

—  noctis  mediae:  the  carouse 
shall  last  until  morning. 

II f.  Murenae:  apparently  the 
Licinius  Murena  of  2,  10;  but  we 
do  not  know  from  any  other  source 
that  he  was  ever  augur. — tribus 
aut  novem,  etc. :  the  sextarius  was 
divided  into  twelve  cyathi.  Here 
the  wine  is  to  be  mixed  either  three 
parts  wine  to  nine  parts  water  for 
the  weaker  brethren,  or  nine  parts 
wine  to  three  parts  water  for  the 
stronger  heads.  —  commodis:  to 
suit  the  taste.  Cf  4,  8.  i  coinmodus 
and  n. 

13 ff.  'The  devotee  of  the  nine 
Muses  will  choose  the  stronger 
mixture ;    those    who    honor    the 


3.  19,  15] 


HORATI 


15  vates  ;  tris  prohibet  supra 

rixarum  nietuens  tangere  Gratia 
nudis  iuncta  sororibus. 

Insanire  iuvat :  cur  Berecyntiae 
cessant  flamina  tibiae  ? 
20  Cur  pendet  tacita  fistola  cum  lyra  ? 

Parcentis  ego  dexteras 

odi :  sparge  rosas ;  audiat  invidus 
dementem  strepitum  Lycus 
et  vicina  seni  non  habilis  Lyco. 
25  Spissa  te  nitidum  coma, 

puro  te  similem,  Telephe,  Vespero 
tempestiva  petit  Rhode ; 

me  lentus  Glycerae  torret  amor  meae. 


modest  Graces,  the  weaker.'  —  at- 
tonitus :  inspired,  with  a  double 
meaning — by  the  Muses  and  the 
wine. — tris . . .  supra :  for  the  order, 
see  Intr.  33. 

16  f.  rixarum :  objective  genitive 
with  metuens,  as  3,  24,  22  vietuens 
alierius  viri.  —  Gratia  .  .  .  iuncta : 
cf.  1 , 4, 6  imictaeque  Nymphis  Gra- 
tiae  decent es.  —  nudis:  so  repre- 
sented in  Hellenistic  and  Roman 
art.     Cf.  n.  to  i,  4,  7. 

i8ff.  insanire:  to  revel,  bacchari. 
Cf.  the  Anacreontic  OeXw,  OlXw 
/jMvrjvai.  —  Berecyntiae  .  .  .  tibiae: 
Mt.  Berecyntus  in  Phrygia  was  the 
center  of  the  wild  orgiastic  worship 
of  the  Great  Mother.  —  pendet :  i.e. 
on  the  wall  unused. 

21  ff.  parcentis :  niggard;  bear- 
ing the  emphasis. —rosas:  here 
symbolical  of  luxury,  for  the  season 


is  winter  (cf.  v.  8),  and  the  roses 
are  to  be  scattered  (sparge)  with  a 
generous  hand.  Cf.  i,  36,  15. — 
audiat  invidus :  parallel  —  hear  and 
envy.  —  Lycus  .  .  .  Lyco:  scornful 
repetition,  as  i,  13,  if.  —  non  habi- 
lis :  not  suited  (in  years)  as  tem- 
pestiva (v.  27)  shows. 

25  f .  spissa :  thick,  marking  the 
contrast  between  young  Telephus 
and  old  Lycus.  — te . . .  te :  parallel 
to  Lycus . . .  Lyco.  —  nitidum :  sleek 
and  spruce.  —  similem  . .  .Vespero : 
the  comparison  is  as  old  as  Homer. 
Cf.  //.  22,  317  f.  otos  8'  aarrjp  clai 
fjLeT  ddTpdcri  vuktos  a/noXyw  |  ea- 
7re/309,  OS  KaAAwTTO?  ev  OLpavw 
L(TTaTai  dcTTrjp.  Also,  C  3, 9. 2 1 .  — 
tempestiva:  cf.  1,23,  12.  —  lentus: 
cf.  I,  13,  8.  —  Glycerae:  the  same 
love  I,  19,  5  ;  30,  3.  Cf.  I,33,2.— 
torret:  cf.  I,  33,  6. 


294 


CARMINA  [3,  20,  10 


20 


A  warning  to  Pyrrhus.  who  attempts  to  steal  the  boy  Nearchus  from 
a  girl  who  also  loves  him.  '  She  will  fight  like  a  lioness  whose  cubs  are 
stolen ;  but  the  boy  looks  on  unconcerned,  as  beautiful  as  Nereus  or 
Ganymedes.' 

The  verses  are  evidently  a  study  from  the  Greek.     Metre,  69. 

Non  vides  quanto  moveas  periclo, 
Pyrrhe,  Gaetulae  catulos  leaenae  ? 
Dura  post  paulo  fugies  inaudax 
proelia  raptor, 

5  cum  per  obstantis  iuvenum  catervas 

ibit  insignem  repetens  Nearchum  : 
grande  certamen,  tibi  praeda  cedat, 
maior  an  ilia. 

Interim,  dum  tu  celeres  sagittas 
10  promis,  haec  dentis  acuit  timendos, 

I  ff.  moveas :  disturb. — Gaetulae  and  after  v.  10  the  figure  is  entirely 

.  .  .  leaenae :  a  similar  comparison  dropped.     For  a  similar  confusion 

I.  23.  10.  —  post  paulo:    in  prose.  in  comparisons,  cf.  i,  15,  29 ff. — 

ordinarily,  paulo  post. — inaudax:  insignem:  distinguished  among  all 

a   compound   coined    by    Horace,  the  rest,  peerless  {Smith) .     Cf.  i. 

apparently  to  reproduce  the  Greek  33,  5. 
aro\/>to5.  7  f .  grande  certamen :  defined  by 

5  ff.  per  obstantis,  etc. :  the  con-  the   alternatives  which    follow. — 

ception  is   Homeric.      Cf.  //.  18.  ceiAt : /all.  —  msiiOT :  super/or,  7nc- 

318 ff.     The  phrase  represents  the  torious. — ilia:  sc.  s/t. 
OiXtpol  al^Tjoi  of  Homer;  here  it  loff.  dentis  acuit:  Homeric;  cf. 

means  the  friends  and  supporters  //.   11,  416;    13,  474  of  the  wild 

of  Pyrrhus.     The  girl,  enraged  by  boar.  —  arbiter  pugnae :  the  boy  is 

the  fear  of  losing  Nearchus,  will  not  only  the  prize  of  the  contest, 

rush  like  a  lioness  through  all  op-  but  is  also  its  judge,  since  he  may 

position.     The  introduction  of  the  choose   which    he   will    follow. — 

name  Nearchus  disturbs  the  meta-  posuisse  palmam  :  quite  indifferent 

phor  with  which  the  ode  begins.  as  to  the  outcome,  Nearchus  places 

295 


3,  20,  II j  HORATI 

arbiter  pugnae  posuisse  nudo 
sub  pede  palmam 

fertur  et  leni  recreare  vento 
sparsum  odoratis  umerum  capillis, 
15  qualis  aut  Nireus  fuit  aut  aquosa 

raptus  ab  Ida. 

his  foot  on  the  emblem  of  victory.  after  Achilles,  //.  2, 673  f.  Ni/aeus,  o? 

—  nudo :  added  simply  to  help  out  /caXAio-TOs  avijp  viro  "IXiov   rfXBt  \ 

the  picture.  twv  aAAwv  Aavawv  /x€t'   afiv/xova 

13 ff.  fertur:    'you  will   hardly  Urjketiava.     Cf.  Epod.  15,  22,/^;-- 

believe  it,  but  this  is  the  story.'  maqiie  vincas  Nirea  {licebit).— 

Cf.  3,  5,  41  for  a  similar  use  of  the  aquosa:  from  its  many  springs;  the 

verb.  —  sparsum  odoratis,  etc. :  cf.  Homeric  *I8t?  ■Kokvidla.^.  —  raptus: 

Ovid  Fasti.   2,  309  ibat  odoratis  Ganymedes ;  cf.  Verg.  A.  5,  254  f. 

Kincros  perftisa  capillis  \  Maeonis.  quein  pj-aepes  ab  Ida  \  siibliinen 

— Nireus :  the  fairest  of  the  Greeks  pedibus  rapiiit  lovis  ariniger  uncis. 


f/^  21 


I/" 

An  address  to  a  jar  of  wine,  which  Horace  will  broach  in  honor  of 
his  friend  Corvinus. 

Marcus  Valerius  Messala  Corvinus  was  a  student  in  Athens  with 
Horace,  and  like  him  served  in  Brutus'  army  in  42  B.C. ;  later  he  took 
part  in  the  struggle  against  Antony.  He  was  consul  in  31  B.C.,  and  in 
27  B.C.  enjoyed  a  triumph  over  the  Aquitanians.  After  this  he  devoted 
himself  to  the  practice  of  law  and  the  pursuit  and  patronage  of  litera- 
ture. His  eloquence  is  praised  by  Cicero  {ad  Brut,  i,  15,  i)  ;  Quin- 
tilian  (10.  i,  113)  compared  his  oratory  with  that  of  Asinus  Pollio. 
Messala's  great  wealth  and  high  social  position  made  it  possible  for  him 
to  gather  about  him  a  literary  circle  second  only  to  that  of  Maecenas. 
Tibullus  was  the  most  distinguished  of  this  company,  and  has  left  many 
references  in  his  verses  to  his  patron. 

The  ode  is  dramatically  conceived  :  the  poet  stands  before  the  jars 
stored  in  his  apotheca  and  bids  one  contemporary  with  himself  come 
down  and  yield  up  its  store,  whether  it  contain  sport  or  contention. 
As  the  gossip  of  tradition  credits  Messala  with  being  a  connoisseur  of 
wines,  vv.  7-10  possibly  refer  to  his  ability.     The  date  of  composition 

296 


CARMINA 


[3.  21,  12 


may  safely  be   put  after  27  B.C.,  so  that  Horace  and  his  wine  were 
close  to  forty  years.     Metre,  68. 

O  nata  mecum  confeule  Manlio, 
seu  tu  querellas  sive  geris  iocos 
seu  rixam  et  insanos  amores 
seu  facilem,  pia  testa,  somnum, 

5  quocumque  lectum  nomine  Massicum 

servas,  moveri  digna  bono  die, 
descende,  Corvino  iiibente 
promere  languidiora  vina. 

Non  ille,  quamquam  Socraticis  madet 
10  sermonibus,  te  negleget  horridus  : 

narratur  et  prisci  Cktonis    - 
saepe  mero  caluisse  virtus. 


I  ff.  L.  Manhus  Torquatus  was 
consul  in  65  B.C.  Ci.  Epod.\2„6tu 
vina  Torqiiato  vtove  coiisule  pressa 
meo.  Evenus  addressed  a  meas- 
ure of  wine  in  similar  fashion, 
\nth.    Pal.    1 1,   49    BaK;)(oi>    fxi- 

TpOV     a.pL(TTOV,      O      fir]      TToXv     flTjT 

i\d)(L<TTov  •  I  ecTTL  yap  17  Aiwriys 
aiTios  r]  fiavLrj<;  \  ...  el  Be  ttoXus 
irvevaeiev,  airiaTpaTTTcu  pkv  epwras.  | 
fiaiTTL^u  S"  VTrvw  yuTOVL  Tw  da.va.TOV. 
3  f.  seu  rixam.  etc. :  cf.  i.  13, 
ti  f .  ;  17.  22  ff. — facilem  som- 
num: cf.  2,  II.  8;  3.  I.  20  f . ; 
Efifld.  2,  28. — pia:  the  amphora 
(testa)    has    been    faithful   to   its 

barge. 

5  ff.  quocumque  .  .  .  nomine  :  a 
bookkeeping  expression,  on  what- 
•n'er  account.  —  lectum :    vintage. 

-  moveri :  i.e.  from  its  place  in  the 
apoiheca:  cf.  Epod.   13.  6  quoted 


above.  For  the  infinitive,  see 
Intr.  108.  —  bono  die:  'a  "red 
letter"  day  such  as  this  in  honor 
of  Corvinus.' — descende  :  the 
apotheca  was  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  house.  See  n.  to  3,  8,  11. — 
promere  :  to  broach.  —  languidiora : 
mellower;  cf.  3,  16,  35  langiiescit. 

9  f .  non  ille  :  emphatic  as  non 
ego  I.  18,  II.  —  Socraticis  .  .  . 
sermonibus  :  the  argnineiits  of  the 
Socratic  school.  —  madet  :  is 
steeped;  used  as  by  us  in  a  double 
sense.  Cf.  Mart.  6.  441  f.  credis  te 
.  .  .  solwit  iiinlto  perniaduisse  sale 
{wit) .  —  horridus  :  rnde,  boorish'. 

II  f.  prisci  Catonis  .  .  .  vir- 
tus :  honest  old  Cato.  With  the ' 
expression,  cf.  i,  3.  36  Herculeus 
labor,  and  luv.  4,  81  Crispi  iti- 
ciinda  senectiis,  '  cheery  old  Cris- 
pus."  —  saepe   mero.    etc.  :    Cicero 


297 


3.  21,  13] 


HORATI 


Tu  lene  torraentum  ingenio  admoves 
plerumque  duro  ;  tu  sapientium 
15  curas  et  arcanum  iocoso 

consilium  retegis  Lyaeo ; 

tu  spem  reducis  mentibus  anxiis 
virisque  et  addis  cornua  pauperi, 
post  te  neque  iratos  trementi 
20  regum  apices  neque  militum  arma. 

in  his  essay  de  Senectute  makes 
old  Cato  say  that  he  is  fond  of 
inodica  convhna  ;  cf.  also  Sen.  de 
Tranq.  Anvni  1 7,  4  Cato  vino  laxa- 
bat  anitniim  curis  publicis  fatiga- 
tum. 

13  If.  For  similar  praise  of 
wine,  see  i,  18,  3  ff. ;  4,  12,  19  f. 
(cadus)  spes  donare  novas  largus 
amaraqiie  \  curarum  ehiere  effi- 
cax.  Also  Bacchyl.  Frg.  20  Bl. 
(orav)  yAuKct  dvayKa  |  o-evo/x-cvav 
KuAtKCDV  ddXTrrjcTL  Ovfjiov,  I  KvTTpiSos 

0  cAtti^  oiaiOvaar)  c^peVas,  |  d/xfjiet- 
yvvfj.eva  Atovucrt'oto-t  Sw/aot?.  (  dv- 
opd(Ji.  8  vil/OTaTU)  7r€fx,Tr€L  fi€.pLfx.va<;- 

1  avTLKa  fjikv  TroAt'tov  KpdBe/xva 
Avei,  I  irdai  o  dvOpu>iroL<i  [xovap- 
;^r/(7etv  So/cei-  |  )^pv(T<Z  8'  eAc^avrt 
re  p.apixaipov<JLV  olkol-  \  Trvpo(f>6poi 
Se  KaT  aiyAaevra  (ttovtov)  \  vaes 
ayoucrtv    dw    AlyvirTov   yxeytorov  | 

TtXovTOV  •    WS  TTLVOVTOi  OpfXXLtVtL  Ktap. 

'  When  sweet  constraint  warms 
the  soul  as  the  cups  hurry 
round,  and  Cypris'  hope  commin- 
gled with  the  gifts  of  Dionysus 
rushes  through  the  heart,  men's 
thoughts  are  raised  most  high. 
This     straightway     breaks    down 


the  battlements  of  cities,  and  seems 
sole  lord  of  all ;  with  gold  and 
ivory  gleam  the  houses  ;  the  grain 
ships  bring  greatest  riches  from 
Egypt  over  the  glimmering  sea. 
So  is  the  heart  moved  of  the  man 
who  drinks.' 

—  tu  .  .  .  tu  .  .  .  tu :  resum- 
ing the  address  to  the  jar  and 
serving  as  connectives.  —  tor- 
mentum :  spur.  —  plerumque  :  cf. 
1 ,  34,  7  and  n.  —  curas  :  serious 
thoughts.  —  et  arcanum,  etc. :  cf. 
Vitalis  Anth.  Lat.  633,  6  R.  arca- 
num dentens  detegit  ebrietas. — 
Lyaeo :  tite  releaser;  cf.  i,  7,  22 
and  n. 

18  f.  virisque:  object  of  addis. 
For  the  position,  see  Intr.  31. 
Cf.  Ovid  A.  A.  I,  239  tunc  {i.e. 
post  vina)  veniunt  risus,  turn 
pauper  cornua  sumit,  \  turn  dolor 
et  curae  rugaque  frontis  abit .  O  n 
cornua  as  the  symbols  of  power, 
cf.  n.  to  2,  19,  30;  Ovid  Avi.  3. 
11,6  venerunt  capiti  cornua  sera 
meo,  and  I  Sam.  2,  i  •'  Mine  horn 
is  exalted  in  the  Lord.' 

19  f.  post  te:  cf.   I,    18,    5. — 
iratos  apices :    for  the  transferred 


298 


CARMINA 


[3,  22,  0 


Te  Liber  et,  si  laeta  aderit,  Venus 

segnesque  nodum  solvere  Gratiae 

vivaeque  producent  lucernae 

dum  rediens  fugat  astra  Phoebus. 


iljective,  see  Intr.  99.  —  apices: 
>ce  n.  to  I,  34,  14. — trementi : 
transitive  here. 

21  ff.  Love  and  wine  are  com- 
panions, cf.  3,  18,  6  /.  —  nodum: 
of  intertwined  arms ;  cf.  3, 19,  16  f. 
—  solvere  :  with  segnes.  —  Gra- 
tiae :  to  the  pleasures  of  wine  and 


love  the  Graces  add  the  charm  of 
wit  and  courteous  society.  — vivae  : 
cf.  3,  8,  14  vigiles  lucernae.  — pro- 
ducent:  carry  on,  prolong;  cf.  ^. 
i>  5>  70  prorsus  iucunde  cenatn 
prodiicitmts  illam,  Mart.  2,  89 
niinio  gaicdes  noctein  producere 
vino. 


22 

A  hymn  dedicating  to  Diana  of  the  woods,  a  pine  tree  that  rises  above 
tlie  poet's  country  house.     Metre,  69. 

Montium  custos  nemorumque  virgo, 
quae  laborantis  utero  puellas 
ter  vocata  audis  adimisque  leto, 
diva  triformis, 

5  imminens  villae  tua  pinus  esto, 

quam  per  exactos  ego  laetus  annos 


1  ff.  This  strophe  is  very  similar 
to  Catull.  34,  9fF.  vioitiian  dotnina 
id  fores  \  silvariitnque  virenthint  \ 
salluiinique  reconditorttnt  \  anini- 
iiniqiie  sonant um.  \  T21  Lucina  do- 
Iciitibus  I  Itmo  dicta  picerperis,  \ 
til  potens  Trivia  et  not/to  es  dicta 
liimine  Luna .  —  custos :  cf  Verg. 
A.  9. 405  nemorum  Latonia  custos. 
On  Diana  Nemorensis,  cf.  i,  21,  6 
and  n. 

2  ff.  quae,  etc. :  as  the  goddess 
of  child-birth,  Ilithyia.     Cf.  C.  S. 


1 3  iT.  —  puellas :  used  of  young  mar- 
ried women.  Cf.  Ovid  Am.  2,  13, 
1 9  tuque  labor  antes  utero  miser  at  a 
puellas.  —  ter :  the  sacred  number ; 
cf.  I,  28,  36. — triformis :  Luna,  Di- 
ana, and  Hecate.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  4, 
5 1 1  tergeminamque  Hecaten,  tria 
virginis  ora  Dianae. 

Sff.  The  Italian  pine  grows  to  a 
large  size ;  its  lower  trunk  is  free 
from  branches,  but  above  it  spreads 
into  a  broad  'umbrella'  head. — 
quam  .  .  .  donem  :  that  I  may.  delin- 


299 


3>   22,  7] 


HORATI 


verris  obliquum  meditantis  ictum 
sanguine  donem. 


ingthe  purpose  of  the  dedication. — 
per  exactos  . . .  annos :  as  the  years 
close.  Cf.  3,18,5.  —  laetus  :  rejoic- 
/tii^''  (in  the  service),  corresponding 
to  the  libeiis  inerito  of  inscriptions. 
—  verris  obliquum,  etc. :  the  regu- 
lar stroke  of  the  boar,  due  to  the 


way  his  tusks  grow.  Cf.  Od.  19. 
45 1  AtKpK^ts  dt^as,  of  the  wild  boar 
that  wounded  Odysseus.  Also 
Ovid.  Her.  4,  104  obliquo  dente 
timendus  aper.  The  description 
of  the  victim  fixes  his  age,  as  also 


-       in  3-  13,  y- 

23       \>' 


'Thy  small  but  faithful  offerings,  Phidyle,  will  save  thy  crops  and 
flocks;  thou  needest  not  be  anxious  that  thou  hast  no  great  victim. 
Pure  hands,  a  little  salt  and  meal,  is  all  thy  guardian  gods  require.' 

Thus  Horace  reassures  a  country  housewife,  and  shows  that,  for  all 
his  lack  of  faith  in  the  state  religion,  he  was  not  without  sympathy  with 
the  beliefs  of  the  common  folk.  Read  Lang.  Letters  to  Dead  Authors, 
p.  210;  Sellar,  p.  i62f.     Metre,  68. 

Caelo  supinas  si  tuleris  manus 
nascente  luna,  rustica  Phidyle, 
si  ture  placaris  et  horna 
fruge  Laris  avidaque  porca, 

5  nee  pestilentem  sentiet  Africiim 

fecunda  vitis  nee  sterilem  seges 


if.  caelo:  dative,  Intr.  88. — 
supinas :  with  palms  upturned  {vtt- 
Ttos).  the  regular  attitude  of  prayer. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  3,  I76f.  tendoqne  su- 
pinas I  ad  caelum  cum  voce  manus. 
—  nascente  luna:  on  the  first  day 
of  the  month,  the  Kalends.  Cf  3, 
19,  9  and  n.  On  this  day  sacrifice 
was  regularly  made  to  the  house- 
hold gods.  —  Phidyle:  ^aSwAi^.the 


'Sparer'  (<^£tSo/x,ai),  well  chosen 
to  suit  the  subject  of  the  ode. 
—  horna :  i.e.  with  the  first  fruits  of 
the  harvest. — porca:  cf  3,  17,  15, 
and  n. 

5ff.  pestilentem  .  .  .  Africum : 
the  Sirocco,  whose  parching  heat 
burned  up  the  grapes. — fecunda: 
big-  clustered.  —  sterilem :  active  as 
palma  nobilis  1,1,  5.' — robiginem : 


300 


CARMINA 


[3.  23,  16 


15 


robiginem  aut  dulces  alumni 
pomifero  grave  tempus  anno. 

Nam  quae  nivali  pascitur  Algido 
devota  quercus  inter  et  ilices 
aut  crescit  Albanis  in  herbis 
victima  pontificum  securis 

cervice  tinguet :  te  nihil  attinet 
temptare  multa  caede  bidentium 
parvos  coronantem  marino 
rore  deos  fragilique  myrto. 


the  rust  which  injured  the  grain  in 
a  wet  spring.  The  festival  to  the 
divinity  Robigo  fell  on  April  25. — 
alumni:  as  3,  18,  4.  —  pomifero... 
anno :  a  similar  circumlocution 
Epod.  2, 29  annus  hibermis.  — grave 
tempus :  cf.  Livy  3,  6  grave  tempiis 
et ...  annus pestilens.  The  careful 
arrangement  of  this  second  strophe 
should  be  noted :  each  of  the  three 
subjects,  vitis.  seges,  alumni,  has 
a  position  different  from  the  other 
two  with  reference  to  its  object. 

9  ff.  nam  quae.  etc. :  Mt.  Algidus, 
a  ridge  of  the  Alban  hills,  belonged 
to  the  pontifices,  and  was  used  by 
them  as  pasturage  for  their  in- 
tended victims  {devotae  viciimae'). 
Cf.  n.  to  I,  21,  6.  — inter:  for  the 
position,  see  Intr.  32.  —  Albanis 
in  herbis:  a  part  of  the  ancient 
Alban  territory  which  tradition 
said  (Dionys.  Hal.  3,  29)  King 
Numa  assigned  to  the  pontifices. 

13 ff.  tinguet:  concessive,  may 
tain-,    cf.   I,  7,   I    laudabunt  alii. 


etc.  —  te  nihil  attinet,  etc.:  'the 
great  and  powerful  may  offer  rich 
sacrifice,  but  for  thee  there  is  no 
need,'  etc.  With  this  emphatic 
contrast,  cf.  e.g.  i,  7,  10. — temp- 
tare  :  to  beset,  importune;  its  object 
is  deos,  which  also  serves  as  object 
of  coronantem.  —  bidentium:  i.e.  of 
the  age  when  they  might  be  sacri- 
ficed. The  meaning  of  the  tech- 
nical term  bidens  was  uncertain  in 
antiquity  ;  in  one  place  the  epitome 
of  Festus  (p.  4)  says  that  it  means 
sheep  \vith  both  rows  of  teeth,  in 
another  (p.  33)  it  offers  the  com- 
moner explanation  which  refers  it 
to  the  two  prominent  teeth  in  the 
sheep's  lower  jaw  which  replace 
the  milk  teeth.  Translate,  full- 
grown. — parvos:  intentionally  con- 
trasted with  multa  caede.  thus  sug- 
gesting the  folly  of  great  sacrifice 
to  the  little  images  of  the  household 
gods  kept  by  the  hearth. — coro- 
nantem :  on  the  Kalends.  Nones. 
and   Ides  of  each   month  and  at 


301 


3.  23.  17] 


HORATI 


Immunis  aram  si  tetigit  manus, 
non  sumptuosa  blandior  hostia, 
mollivit  aversos  Penatis 
farre  pio  et  saliente  mica. 


other  special  festivals  honor  was 
paid  to  the  Lares.  So  Cato  de  Agr. 
143  directs  {vilica)  kaletidis  idibus 
iionis,  festiis  dies  cum  erit,  coro- 
nam  znfocufn  indat,per  eosdemqiie 
dies  La7'i  familiari  pro  copia  siip- 
plicet,  —  marine  rore  :  the  aromatic 
rosemary  used  by  those  who  could 
not  afford  the  costly  imported  in- 
cense.—  fragili:  brittle. 

17  f.  immunis  :  here  innocent, 
guiltless ;  elsewhere  in  Horace  it 
means  'without  bringing  a  gift/ 
4,  12,  23;  /-.pist.  I,  14,  33.  In 
this  passage,  however,  the  point 
which  Horace  wishes  to  empha- 
size is  the  acceptability  of  inno- 
cence over  great  offerings,  so  that 
inuminis  is  used  absolutely  in  the 
sense  of  inuiuinis  sceleris.  The 
idea  is  commonplace.  Cf.  Eurip. 
Frg.  327  eyo)  Se  7roXAa/<ts  ao(f)0}Te- 
pov<i  I  TTti/i^Tas  dvSpa<;  elcropu»  tw 
TrXov(Tto)v,  I  Koi  (tous)  dedicn  fXLKpa. 
dvovTa<;  TeXr]  \  rwv  /SovOvtovvtcdv 
6vTa<;  evcreftearepovi.  '  I  ofttimes 
see  poor  men  are  wiser  than 
the  rich,  and  they  who  make  small 
offerings  to  the  gods  more  pious 


than  men  who  sacrifice  great  vic- 
tims ; '  also  Frg.  946  ev  icr6\  orav 
Tis  (.vaefHsiv  9vr)  Oeot'i,  \  Kav  fUKpa 
Ovrj,  Tvy)(a.vu  (TWTrjpta^.  '  Be  sure 
that  when  a  pious  man  makes 
offering  to  the  gods,  even  though 
his  offering  be  small,  he  gains 
their  saving  aid.' 

—  non  sumptuosa,  etc.  :  the 
verse  somewhat  awkwardly  adds  a 
new  idea  to  the  preceding  state- 
ment —  (thy  hand)  not  made  the 
more  persuasive  by  any  costly  vic- 
tim. 

19  f.  mollivit:  the  gnomic  per- 
fect in  conclusion  —  it  has  (and 
always  will),  etc.  —  aversos:  not 
'  hostile,'  but  disinclined,  indiffer- 
ent;  cf.  Epod.  10,  18. — Penatis: 
not  distinguished  from  the  Lares. 
—  farre  pio,  etc. :  a  circumlocu- 
tion for  the  mola  salsa,  the  sacri- 
ficial cake,  made  of  spelt  and  salt. 
The  phrase  is  used  by  Tibullus  3, 
4,  10  farre  pio  pla cant  et  saliente 
sale;  also  by  Ovid  Fast.  4,  409  f. 
farra  deae  micaeque  licet  salient  is 
honorem  detis.  —  saliente :  i.e. 
when  the  salt  was  thrown  on  the  fire. 


24 

'Not  all  the  wealth  of  the  Orient  nor  villas  by  the  sea  shall  set  thee 
free  from  fear  of  death.  The  nomad  Scythians  live  better  far,  for 
among  them  virtue  and  chastity  have  their  true  place ;  there  the  price 

302 


CARMINA  [3,  24,  5 

of  sin  is  death  (1-24).  He  who  will  be  known  as  father  of  the  state, 
must  check  the  current  license,  trusting  to  posterity  for  his  reward 
(25-32).  Our  sin  must  be  cut  out,  laws  without  the  support  of  charac- 
ter are  vain.  The  source  of  our  sin  is  greed  for  gain,  so  that  neither 
torrid  heat  nor  northern  cold  check  the  eager  trader ;  for  gold  men  do 
and  suffer  all.  Poverty  alone  is  great  disgrace.  Then  let  us  dedicate 
to  Jove  or  cast  into  the  sea  our  gems  and  gold  if  we  are  really  penitent 
(33-50).  Present  luxury  is  too  great.  Our  boys  must  be  trained  in  a 
sterner  school.  To-day  no  freeborn  youth  can  ride  his  horse;  yet  he 
is  well  skilled  in  weaker  sports  and  dice.  Honor  and  fidelity  are  gone. 
Riches  will  still  grow  to  harm,  but  never  satisfy  (51-64).' 

This  moralizing  on  riches  as  the  source  of  evil  is  similar  to  much  in 
the  opening  odes  of  this  book,  especially  to  3,  i,  14-44.  Cf.  also  2,  15  ; 
16;  18  ;  Epod.  16.  The  savior  invoked  in  vv.  25  ff.  is  clearly  Augustus, 
who  endeavored  by  legislation  and  example  to  check  the  growing 
license  of  his  time.  His  success  was  only  slight  and  temporary  in 
spite  of  his  words  Mon.  Anc.  2,  12-14  legibus  novis  latis  complura  ex- 
einpla  tiiaiorum  exolentia  iam  ex  nostra  usu  redttxi  et  ipse  vitdtarjwi 
rerwn  exempla  imitaiida  posteris  tradidi.  The  date  of  composition 
cannot  be  determined,  but  probably  the  ode  was  written  at  about  the 
same  time  as  3,  1-6.     Metre,  71. 

Intactis  opulentior 

thesauris  Arabum  et  divitis  Indiae 
caementis  licet  occupes 

Tyrrhenum  omne  tuis  et  mare  Apulicum, 
5  si  figit  adamantines 

I  f.     intactis  :     unriflcd,     and  an  early  date,  and  the  nature  of 

therefore   the   greater.      Probably  the  merchandise  —  ivory,  precious 

the   word    contains   a   covert    re-  stones,  and  costly  stuffs  —  had  im- 

proach  also,  for  by  Horace's  time  pressed    the     Romans     with    the 

the    Romans     had     looted     Asia  wealth  of  the  Indies. 
Minor  and  might  be  thought  to  be  3  f.    caementis  :  rubble,  for  foun- 

longing   for   the   treasures  of  the  dations :  cf.    3.    i,    35    and    n. — 

East.     (li.Vxo'^.2,\o,\(iet  damns  Tyrrhenum   .   .    .  et   mare  Apuli- 

intactae  te   tremit   Arabiae.     On  cum :   i.e.  every  part  of  the   sea- 

the  wealth  of  Arabia,  cf.  i,  29,  i  coast  from  North  to  South, 
and  n.     Trade  with  India  by  way  5  f .    figit :  for  the  quantity,  see 

of  Asia   Minor  had  existed   from  Intr.    35.  — adamantines:    cf.    i, 

303 


3.  24.  6] 


HORATl 


15 


summis  verticibus  dira  Necessitas 
clavos,  non  animum  metu, 

non  mortis  laqueis  expedies  caput. 
Campestres  melius  Scythae, 

quorum  plaustra  vagas  rite  trahunt  domes, 
vivunt  et  rigidi  Getae, 

immetata  quibus  iugera  liberas 
fruges  et  Cererem  ferunt, 

nee  cultura  placet  longior  annua, 
defunctumque  laboribus 

aequali  recreat  sorte  vicarius. 
Illic  matre  carentibus 


6,  13. — summis  verticibus:  i.e. 
in  the  roof  tree  of  your  palaces. 
'  Man  may  plan  and  build  but  the 
completion  is  in  the  hands  of 
Fate.'  In  i,  35,  18  clavi  trabales 
are  the  instruments  of  Necessitas. 
With  the  general  concept,  of.  2, 
18,  29-32. 

8.  mortis  laqueis  :  the  figure  is 
old;  cf.  Psalms  18,  5  'The  snares 
of  death  prevented  me.' 

9  f .  campestres  :  of  the  steppes ; 
cf.  3,  8,  24.  The  position  of  the 
word  emphasizes  the  patent  con- 
trast between  these  nomads  and 
the  Romans  with  their  magnificent 
palaces.  With  this  description  of 
the  Scythians,  cf.  Aesch.  P.  V. 
709  f.  2'<u^as  o  a.(f>iirf  vo/ia8as.  01 
TrAcKTas  OTf'yas  |  irthapaioi  vaiova 
lir  evKVKXois  o)(OL<;.  '  And  thou 
shalt  reach  the  Scythian  nomads, 
who  dwell  in  wattled  homes  raised 
in  the  air  on  fair  wheeled  cars.' 
Sail.  Hist.  3.  76  M.  Scythae  no- 


mades  tenent  quibus  plaustra  sedes 
sunt. — rite:  as  is  their  custom. 

II  f.  rigidi  Getae:  stern;  cf. 
Epist.  I,  I,  X"]  virtutisverae  custos 
rigidusque  satelles ;  and  Anth. 
Lat.  899,  7  B.  qui  potuit  rigidas 
Gothonij/i  subdere  mentes .  —  im- 
metata quibus,  etc.  :  the  land  is 
not  held  in  severalty  and  the  prod- 
ucts are  common  (liberas)  prop- 
erty. 

14  ff.  Caesar  B.  G.  4,  i  attri- 
butes the  same  customs  to  the 
Suevi.  Cf.  Tac.  Germ.  26.  — 
annua:  ablative. — defunctum  la- 
boribus: cf.  2,  18,  38  functum  la- 
boribjis,  used  in  a  different  sense. 
—  aequali  ,  .  .  sorte :  ablative  of 
manner.  —  vicarius  :  substitute. 

IT  i.  Examples  of  the  virtues 
that  flourish  among  these  simple 
peoples,  as  pictured  by  Horace's 
imagination.  In  similar  fashion 
Tacitus  extols  the  excellences  of 
the  Germans.      Notice   that   here 


304 


CARMINA 


[3.  24.  29 


privignis  mulier  temperat  innocens, 
nee  dotata  regit  virum 

coniunx,  nee  nitido  fidit  adultero ; 
dos  est  magna  parentium 

virtus  et  metuens  alterius  viri 
certo  foedere  eastitas, 

et  peccare  nefas  aut  pretium  est  mori. 
O  quisquis  volet  impias 

caedis  et  rabiem  tollere  civieam, 
si  quaeret  pater  urbium 

subseribi  statuis,  indomitam  audeat 
refrenare  lieentiam, 


the  comparison  is  to  the  disadvan- 
tage of  the  women  alone ;  the 
appeal  to  the  Roman  men  is  made 
somewhat  differently,  v.  25  ff.  — 
matre  carentibus  :  motherless. 
With  the  periphrasis,  cf.  i,  28,  i. 

—  temperat :  treats  kindly.  The 
cruelty  of  the  stepmother  was  pro- 
verbial. Cf.  Epod.  5,  9.  — inno- 
cens :  and  does  them  no  harm, 
logically  parallel  to  temperat. 

19  f.  On  the  proverbial  arro- 
gance of  richly  dowered  wives,  cf. 
Plant.  Meti.  766  ita  Istaec  soUnt 
quae  virds  subserv'ire  \  sib'i  postu- 
Idnt  dote  frctae,  feroces.  Also 
Martial's  clever  answer  8,  1 2  ux- 
or em  quare  locuplete))i  diicere  nolitn 
I  quaeritis?  jixorinubere  nolo  meae. 

—  nitido  :  cf.  3,  19,  25  and  n. 

21  f.  dos  est,  etc. :  cf.  Plaut. 
Amph.  839  f.  ndn  ego  illam  mihi 
dotem  esse  di'eco.  quae  dos  dicitur,  \ 
sed  pudicitiam  H  pudorem  et  seda- 
tum  citpidhiem.  —  metuens  :    that 


shrinks  from ;  cf.  3,  19,  16.  No- 
tice that  the  second  half  of  this 
verse  is  contrasted  by  position  as 
well  as  by  thought  with  the  cor- 
responding part  of  V.  20. 

23  f .  certo  foedere  :  descriptive 
ablative,  loosely  attached  to  easti- 
tas. —  peccare :  in  the  restricted 
sense  of  infidelity ;  cf.  3,  7,  19.  — 
nefas:  sc.  est.  —  aut:  cf.  3,  12,  i 
and  n. 

25  ff.  quisquis  volet :  equiva- 
lent to  si  quis  volet.  —  impias  : 
because  the  strife  had  been  be- 
tween kinsmen.  Cf.  n.  to  2,  i. 
30.  —  pater  urbium:  a  title  of 
honor  similar  to  pater  patriae. 
The  colony  of  Jadera  in  Ill3-ria 
called  Augustus  parens  coloniae 
CIL.  3,  2907 :  he  was  also  called 
CIL.  II,  3083  pater  patriae  et 
municip{ii)  ;     and    Statius    Silv. 

3.  4,  48  names  Domitian  pater  in- 
clitus  urbis.  —  refrenare,  etc.  :  cf. 

4,  15,  10  frena  licentiae  iniecit. 


305 


3.  24,  3oJ 


HORATI 


30  clarus  post  genitis,  —  quatenus,  heu  nef as ! 

virtutem  incolumem  odimus, 

sublatam  ex  oculis  quaerimus  invidi. 
Quid  tristes  querimoniae, 

si  non  supplicio  culpa  reciditur, 
35  quid  leges  sine  moribus 

vanae  proficiunt,  si  neque  fervidis 
pars  inclusa  caloribus 


30  ff.  post  genitis  :  found  only 
here.  —  quatenus:  since,  introduc- 
ing an  explanation  of  the  preced- 
ing words.  The  sentiment  is  a 
commonplace.  Cf.  Menander  (?) 
Seivoi  yap  dvSpi  Trai/rcs  icr/xev  ev- 
kXcci  ^wvrt  (f)$ovrj(Tiu.  Kardavovra 
8'  alvicrai,  '  For  we  all  are  quick 
to  envy  the  man  of  good  repute 
while  he  is  alive,  but  when  he  is 
dead  to  praise  him.'  Horace  him- 
self has  developed  the  thought 
Epist.  2,  I,  10  ff.,  26  ff.  Modern 
poets  too  have  many  echoes  of  the 
strain.  Herrick  declares  with 
mock  resignation,  '  I  make  no 
haste  to  have  my  numbers  read :  | 
Seldome  comes  Glorie  till  a  man 
be  dead.'  Pope's  line  also  is  fa- 
miliar, '  These  suns  of  glory  please 
not  till  they  set.' 

—  incolumem  :  in  the  living.  — 
quaerimus :  ■7toBov(x.€.v.  long  for, 
miss.  As  soon  as  one  generation 
is  dead,  its  virtues  are  extolled  by 
the  surviving  to  disparage  the 
generation  that  succeeds. 

33  f.  quid,  etc. :  i.e.  '■  to  bring 
about  a  genuine  reform  we  must 
cut  at  the  root  of  the  civic  corrup- 


tion; mere  dismal  (tristes)  com- 
plainings are  of  no  avail  without 
bold  action.'  —  reciditur:  a  meta- 
phor taken  from  pruning;  cf.  6".  i, 3, 
122  et  mag  II  is  parva  miner  is  {de- 
licto) I  falce  recisnriwi  simili  te. 

35  f.  The  inefficiency  of  laws 
unless  supported  by  public  senti- 
ment and  character  (mores)  is  rec- 
ognised by  Aristotle  Pol.  2,  5,  14 
o  .  .  .  vofxoi  i(r)(yv  ovbe/xtttv  i)(ei 
Trpos  TO  TTiideauai  irapa.  to  t6o<;, 
and  present  day  conditions  sup- 
ply many  examples.  Some  years 
later  Horace  extolled  Augustus' 
reign  with  the  words  vios  et  lex 
macnlosiim  edonmit  nef  as  (4,  5, 
22) ;  Tacitus  glorifies  his  Germans 
plus  ibi  boni  mores  valetit  quant 
alibi  bonae  leges  {Germ.  19). 

36  ff.  si  neque,  etc. :  the  spe- 
cial cases  to  illustrate  the  general 
truth  contained  in  the  preceding 
question :  '  if  the  greed  for  gain 
has  grown  so  great  that  men  dare 
everything  save  the  crowning  dis- 
grace of  poverty,  what  can  mere 
statutes  do  ? '  Cf.  Petron.  14 
quid  faciant  leges,  ubi  sola  pecunia 
regnat ?—i^a.xa:    cf    3,   3,    55.— 


306 


CARMINA 


[3.  24,  46 


mundi  nee  Boreae  finitimum  latus 
durataeque  solo  nives 
40  mercatorem  abigimt,  horrida  callidi 

vincunt  aequora  navitae, 

magnum  pauperies  opprobrium  iubet 
quidvis  et  facere  et  pad, 

virtutisque  viam  deserit  arduae  ? 
45  Vel  nos  in  Capitolium, 

quo  clamor  vocat  et  turba  faventium, 


inclusa :  fenced  in,  intrenched 
(against  man).  The  same  idea  i, 
22,  22  terra  domibiis  negata.  — 
latus  :  cf.  I,  22,  19. — solo:  loca- 
tive ablative.     Intr.  95. 

40.  mercatorem  :  Horace's  type 
of  the  man  restless  and  reckless 
for  gain.  Cf.  1,1,16;  1,3  entire  ; 
Epist.  I,  I,  45  f.  iinpiger  extremes 
citrris  mercator  ad  /ndos,  \  per 
mare  pauperiejn  fugiens,  per  saxa, 
per  ignes.  —  horrida  callidi :  jux- 
taposed to  strengthen  the  contrast 
between  man's  skill  and  nature's 
savagery. 

42  f .  magnum  .  .  .  opprobrium : 
cf.  S.  2,  3,  91  f.  credidit  ingens 
pauperieni  vitinm.  With  the 
sentiment,   cf.    Theogn.   649  fF.  a 

(Ojdois  I  (rSifixi  KaTatcr^wets  Kat  voov 
rffiirtpov ;  \  alcrxpa  8e  /x'  ovk  lOiXov- 
Ttt  ^irj  Koi  TToXAo.  8t8acr;(ei?,  '  Ah, 
wretched  poverty,  why  dost  thou 
weigh  on  my  shoulders  and  de- 
grade my  body  and  my  mind  ? 
And  though  I  would  not,  thou 
dost. teach  me  perforce  much  that 
is    shameful.'      Lucian    Apol.    10 


TTOUiv    Ktti    Tracr^eiv 

d)S        €K<^VyOL         TL<i 


Trevtav   iravTa 

dvaireLuovaav, 

avTTjv,    '  Poverty    who    persuades 

a  man  to  do  and  suffer  all  things 

that  he  may  escape  her.' 

44.  '  The  path  of  virtue  steep ' 
is  proverbial ;  cf.  Hes.  Op.  289  ff. 
T^S  8'  dper^s  iSpCiTU  6tol  TrpoTrd- 
poiOev  WrjKav  \  dOdvaroL  •  /uaKpos 
8c  Kai  opOio^  oi'io<;  ctt'  avrrjv,  and 
Hamlet's  'steep  and  thorny  way 
to  Heaven.'  —  deserit:  the  ab- 
stract pauperies  suggests  a  con- 
crete subject  pauper. 

45  ff.  Horace  here  expresses 
himself  with  the  fire  of  a  religious 
reformer.  Sacrifice  of  jewels  and 
gold  will  prove  the  people's  sin- 
cerity. Epod.  16  is  written  in 
the  same  strain.  —  in  Capitolium  : 
as  an  offering  to  Jove.  There  is 
no  verb  until  we  reach  mittamus 
V.  50,  but  the  Roman  reader  would 
hardly  be  conscious  of  the  lack.  — 
clamor  et  turba  :  t/ie  shotiting 
crowd.  —  faventium  :  Horace  pic- 
tures the  common  people  applaud- 
ing the  rich  as  they  march  to  the 
Capitol   to  dedicate  their  wealth. 


o^^l 


3.  24.  47] 


HORATI 


vel  nos  in  mare  proximum 

gemmas  et  lapides  aurum  et  inutile 
summi  materiem  mali, 
50  mittamus,  scelerum  si  bene  paenitet. 

Eradenda  cupidinis 

pravi  sunt  elementa  et  tenerae  nimis 
mentes  asperioribus 

formandae  studiis.     Nescit  equo  rudis 
55  haerere  ingenuus  puer 

venarique  timet,  ludere  doctior, 
seu  Graeco  iubeas  trocho, 

seu  malis  vetita  legibus  alea, 
cum  periura  patris  fides 
60  consortem  socium  fallat  et  hospites, 


48  ff.  gemmas  et  lapides :  no 
distinct  classes  are  meant  any 
more  than  in  our  parallel  expres- 
sion 'gems  and  precious  stones.'  — 
aurum  et :  on  the  position,  see 
Intr.  31.  —  inutile:  that  is  good 
for  naught.  —  materiem  :  the 
source ;  the  '  stuff'  of  which  any- 
thing is  made.  Cf.  Sail.  Catil. 
\o  prima  itnperi,  deinde  pecuniae 
cupido  crevit ;  ea  quasi  inateries 
omnium  malorum  fuere.  —  bene : 
trtdy.,  sincerely. 

51  f.  eradenda.  etc.  :  practical 
measures  of  reform  —  the  Roman 
youth  must  be  trained  in  a  stur- 
dier school,  and  taught  to  give  up 
his  present  luxury.  Similar  ex- 
pressions are  found  3,  2,  i  ff. ;  6, 
37  ff.  —  elementa:  the  seeds. — 
tenerae  nimis  :  i.e.  beyond  na- 
ture's limit. 


54  ff.  rudis :  supporting  nescit, 
ignorant  and  untaught,  and  con- 
trasted with  doctior.  —  ingenuus : 
femphasizing  the  disgrace,  for  rid- 
ing and  hunting  were  distinctly 
tlie  exercises  of  a  Roman  gentle- 
man.—ludere:  Intr.  108. 

57  f .  trocho :  trundling  a  hoop 
was  a  favorite  amusement  of  Greek 
children,  but  to  the  conservative 
Roman  mind  it  stood  in  marked 
contrast  to  the  sturdier  native 
sports. — malis:  notice  the  quan- 
tity. —  vetita  legibus  alea  :  gam- 
bling with  dice  was  much  practiced 
among  the  Romans  ;  although  for- 
bidden by  law,  the  vice  was  but 
slightly  checked. 

59  ff.  cum,  etc.  :  while,  etc 
The  clause  adds  another  charac- 
teristic of  the  time.  — periura  .  .  . 
fides:  cf.   i.  5,  5  and  n.  —  consor- 


308 


CARMINA 


[3.  25,  5 


indignoque  pecuniam 

heredi  properet.     Scilicet  improbae 
crescunt  divitiae :  tamen 

curtae  nescio  quid  semper  abest  rei. 


tem  socium :  his  partner.  Sors 
is  the  word  for  capital  invested.  — 
indigno  .  .  .  heredi :  the  dreaded 
heir,  called  ironically  dignior  2. 
14,  25. —  properet:  cf.  depr ope- 
rare  2,  7,  24. 

62  ff.  scilicet :  yes,  of  course. 
Summing  up  the  whole  sad  mat- 
ter,—  'with  all  man's  getting,  he 
will     never    get     enough.'  —  im- 


probae :  shameless,  for  they  have 
no  regard  for  right  and  honor.  — 
curtae  :  proleptic,  '  the  greedy 
man's  wealth  cannot  keep  pace 
with  his  desires.'  Cf.  Epist.  i,  2, 
56  semper  avarits  eget ;  Apul.  de 
Mag.  20  tiec  tiiontibus  auri  satia- 
bitur  {avartts),  sed  semper  ali- 
quid,  ante  parta  lit  augeat.  men- 
dicabit. 


25 

In  dithyrambic  strains  Horace  celebrates  'the  eternal  glory  of 
Caesar.'  The  poet  imagines  himself  carried  away  by  the  power  of 
Bacchus  to  the  wild  haunts  of  the  Naiads  and  Nymphs,  where  he  will 
sing  his  new  and  loftier  theme.  The  ode  has  the  form  of  an  introduc- 
tion to  a  larger  work ;  the  mention  of  the  Emperor  is  apparently 
merely  incidental,  but  forms  the  real  subject  of  the  verses.  The  occa- 
sion is  unknown.     Metre,  71. 

Quo  me,  Bacche,  rapis  tui 

plenum  }     Quae  nemora  aut  quos  agor  in  specus 
velox  mente  nova .''     Quibus 

antris  egregii  Caesaris  audiar 
■;      aeternum  meditans  decus 


iff.  tui  plenum:  cf.  2,  19.  6. 
—  quae  nemora:  in  the  same  con- 
struction as  quos  .  .  .  specus.  — 
mente  nova :  i.e.  being  possessed 
by  the  god,  the  poet  has  become  a 
new  being. 


4.  antris :  dative.  Intr.  87. 
—  egregii:  see  n.  to  i,  6,  11. — 
meditans :  practicing,  planning, 
fxtXerw,  used  here  of  composing 
aloud,  as  by  Verg.  E.  6,  82  f. 
omnia  quae  Phoebo  quondam  medi- 


309 


3.  25,  6] 


HORATI 


15 


stellis  inserere  et  consilio  lovis  ? 
Dicam  insigne,  recens,  adhuc 

indictum  ore  alio.     Non  secus  in  iugis 
exsomnis  stupet  Euhias, 

Hebrum  prospiciens  et  nive  candidam 
Thracen  ac  pede  barbaro 

lustratam  Rhodopen,  ut  miiii  devio 
ripas  et  vacuum  nemus 

mirari  libet.     O  Naiadum  potens 
Baccharumque  valentium 

proceras  manibus  vertere  fraxinos, 


tante  beatus  \  aiidiit  Eurotas.  — 
et  consilio  lovis :  the  deification 
of  Augustus  was  early  accomplished 
by  the  poets  of  his  court.  Cf. 
Verg.  G.  I,  24  f.  tiiqiie  adeo,  queiii 
mox  quae  stint  habittira  deoriwi  \ 
concilia,  incertum  est.  Also  intro- 
ductory n.  to  I,  2,  p.  56  f. 

7.  insigne:  cf.  i,  12,  39  and 
n.  The  context  makes  it  unneces- 
sary to  supply  the  obvious  carmen. 
Cf.  n.  to  I,  6,  5. 

8  f .  non  secus,  etc. :  the  poet  is 
possessed  by  the  divine  influence 
as  fully  as  ever  Maenad,  who  in 
her  ecstasy  has  wandered  una- 
wares far  from  her  home  to  some 
height  where,  suddenly  coming  to 
herself,  she  sees  before  her  the 
valley  of  the  Hebrus  and  Rhodope 
beyond.  — -  exsomnis  :  the  revels  of 
the  bacchantes  were  carried  on  by 
night.  Sleeplessness  is  a  character- 
istic of  the  orgiastic  state.  —  stupet : 
is  amazed;  cf.  Ovid,  Trist.  4,  i. 
42  (Bacche)  dnm  stupet  Idaeis 
exnlulata  iugis. 


10  ff.  nive  candidam :  a  tradi- 
tional epithet  of  Thrace.  Cf.  //. 
14,  227  &pr]KC)v  opea  vicfioevTa. — 
pede  barbaro  lustratam  :  traced  by 
stranger  feet ;  i.e.  she  has  passed 
out  of  her  own  country.  —  ut :  with 
non  secus  in  place  of  the  more 
common  ac  to  avoid  coUision  with 
ac  in  the  preceding  verse. 

13.  ripas  :  used  absolutely  as 
3,  I,  23.  —  vacuum:  the  sacred 
grove  (cf.  I,  I,  30)  is  untenanted 
by  mortals,  so  that  the  poet  may 
wander  there  at  will  (devio) . 

14  ff.  Naiadum  potens :  cf.  i. 
3,  I  and  n.  Also  2,  19,  3;  and 
Orph.  Hymn  53,  6  Natcri  kox  Bct/c- 
ya.i<i  -^yovfieve. — valentium,  etc.: 
the  bacchantes  were  supposed  to 
possess  superhuman  strength. 
The  special  allusion  is  to  the  mur- 
der of  Pentheus  at  the  hands  of 
the  Maenads,  who  pulled  up  by 
the  roots  the  tree  from  which  he 
had  overlooked  their  orgies,  and 
then  in  their  frenzy  tore  him  limb 
from   limb.  —  vertere :    equivalent 


310 


CARMINA 


[3.  26,  6 


nil  parvum  aut  humili  modo, 

nil  mortale  loquar.     Dulce  periculum  est, 
O  Lenaee,  sequi  deum 

cingentem  viridi  tempora  pampino. 

For   the   mood,    see 


to  evertere 
Intr.  loS. 

18  ff.  dulce  periculum  :  an  oxy- 
moron. The  danger  consists  in 
the  near  presence  of  the  god ;  cf. 
2,  19,  5  ff.  — Lenaee  :  'god  of  the 


wine  press '  (At/vos)-! — cingentem  : 
best  taken  with  the  subject  of 
sequi,  —  the  poet  crowns  his  brow 
with  fresh  grape  leaves  in  honor 
of  the  god  and  follows  in  his 
train. 


26 

'Not  without  honor  have  1  served  in  Cupid's  cause ;  now  Til  give  up 
my  arms  and  dedicate  them  in  Venus'  temple.  Goddess  Queen,  I  pray 
thee,  punish  with  a  single  blow  Chloe  so  disdainful.' 

The  last  verse  betrays  the  lover  and  the  cause  of  his  determination 
to  be  done  with  love.  A  similar  turn  will  be  found  4,  i,  33  ff.  Metre, 
68. 

Vixi  puellis  nuper  idoneus 
et  militavi  non  sine  gloria  : 

nunc  arma  defunctumque  bello 
barbiton  hie  paries  habebit, 

5  laeviim  marinae  qui  Veneris  latus 

custodit.     Hie,  hie  ponite  lucida 


I  f .  vixi :  the  definite  perfect 
shows  that  all  is  over.  —  idoneus  : 
i.e.  a  fit  companion,  optics.  — mili- 
tavi :  for  this  common  figure,  cf. 
4,  I,  if.  interinissa,  Venus,  din  \ 
riirstis  bella  moves;  Ovid,  Atn.  i, 
9,  I  niilitat  om>iis  avians  et  habet 
sua  castra  Cttpido. 

4.  hie  paries,  etc. :  the  dedica- 
tion of  weapons,  implements,  as  a 
sign  of  completed  service  was  cus- 
tomary.    Cf.  Epist.   I,  I,  4   Vela- 


niiis  armis  Herculis  ad  postern 
Jixis,  as  a  sign  that  his  service 
as  gladiator  was  ended ;  Terent. 
Afaur.  2633  f.  opiina  adposui  senex 
Atnori  arnta  Feretrio.  So  here 
Horace  will  hang  the  implements 
he  has  used  while  in  Love's  ser- 
vice on  the  right  wall  of  Venus' 
shrine.  —  marinae  .  .  .  Veneris : 
protectress  of  sailors;  cf.  i,  3,  i. 

6  ff.  hie,  hie  :  marking  his  haste 
to  be  done  with  his  service.     Cf. 


311 


3,  26,  7]  HORATI 

funalia  et  vectis  et  arcus 
oppositis  foribus  minacis. 

O  quae  beatam  diva  tenes  Cyprum  et 
!o  Memphin  carentem  Sithonia  nive, 

regina,  sublimi  flagello 

tange  Chloen  semel  arrogantem. 

2,  17.  10;    Epod.  4,  20.  —  lucida:  of  'A</>po8tTT7  ^«W*  according  to 

expressing  the  general  character-  Herod.  2,   112.  —  carentem,   etc.: 

istics;  the  links  are  not  lighted  at  cf.  Bacchyl.  /V^.  39  rav  axeifJ-av- 

the  time  of  dedication.  —  funalia  :  rdv  re  Me/x.<^tv.     With   the  peri- 

to  light  the  lover  on  his  nocturnal  phrasis  cf.   i,  28,  i;  31,   20,   etc. 

raids.  —  vectis  :  to  pry  open  doors  — Sithonia  :  cf.  i,  18,  9. 
where   the   lover    is    excluded. —  11  f.    regina:  cf.  i,  30,  i  and  n. 

arcus  :  if  this  be  the  correct  read-  —  sublimi  flagello  tange  :  raise  thy 

ing,  the  instrument  thus  designated  whip  and  touch.     Cf.  Mart.  6,  21. 

is  unknown  to  us,  unless  we  may  f)  arcano  percussit  (^Venus')  pectora 

conceive  that  the  lover  is  armed  loro.  —  semel :  once  and  once  only. 

with  Cupid's  bow  and  arrows.  — arrogantem:    the  last  word  be- 

9  f .  0  quae,  etc. :  cf.  i,  3,  i  ;  30,  trays  the  cause  of  all  the  lover's 

I.  —  Memphin:  here  was  a  shrine  distress. 


27 

'  May  the  wicked  be  attended  by  all  bad  omens ;  but  only  good  signs 
be  thy  companions,  Galatea;  live  happily  and  ever  remember  me. 
Yet  beware  of  storms.  I  know  the  tricks  of  the  Adriatic  and  of  the 
West  Wind.  May  our  foes,  their  wives  and  children,  tremble  before 
them,  as  Europa  once  trembled  (1-28).  That  maid,  who  so  lately 
gathered  flowers  ia  the  meadow,  broke  into  bitter  self-reproaches  when 
she  reached  Crete  with  its  hundred  cities  (29-66).  But  Venus  came, 
laughed  her  to  scorn,  and  told  her  the  honors  that  awaited  her  (67-76).' 

The  structure  of  this  ode  is  similar  to  that  of  3,  11  with  which  and 
with  I,  15  it  should  be  carefully  compared.  The  first  six  strophes  are 
designed  solely  to  introduce  the  real  subject  of  the  poem.  This  intro- 
duction, however,  is  less  skillfully  managed  than  the  opening  strophes 
of  3,  II.  The  story  of  Europa  was  as  well  known  as  that  of  Hyper- 
mestra ;  the  familiar  portions  of  it  are  passed  quickly  over  in  vv.  25-32  : 
and  touched  on  again  at  the  end  (66-76).     The  scene  chosen  for  fuller 

312 


CARMINA 


[3.  27,  10 


treatment  is  the  moment  when  Europa,  having  reached  Crete,  realizes 
her  position.     Metre,  69. 

Impios  parrae  recinentis  omen 
ducat  et  praegnans  canis  aut  ab  agro 
rava  decurrens  lupa  Lanuvino 
fetaque  volpes ; 

5  rumpat  et  serpens  iter  institutum, 

si  per  obliquum  similis  sagittae 
terruit  mannos  :  ego  xui  timebo  .v:^  u^j^v^w- 

providus_auspex, 

antequam  stantis  repetat  paludes 
10  imbrium  divina  avis  imminentum,     ^cjk  r^-^'^-  W» 


1-12.  '  May  the  wicked  only  be 
exposed  to  the  evil  powers ;  but 
for  thee  I  will  secure  a  good  omen.' 
All  the  omens  mentioned  vv.  1-7 
are  cVdStot  o-v/u,^oXoi, '  signs  by  the 
way,'  Aesch.  P.  V.  487.  —parrae  : 
mentioned  with  other  prophetic 
birds  by  Plautus.  Asin.  260  picus 
et  cornix  ab  laeva,  corvos  parra  a 
dextera  \  cdnsuadent,  and  also  by 
Festus  s.v.  oscines  (cf.  v.  11)  — 
cum  cecinit  corviis  cornix  nocttia 
parra  picus.  The  bird,  however, 
is  not  identified.  Owl  may  be 
used  in  translation. — recinentis: 
'h-oning. 

2  ff.  ducat:  escort  (on  their 
>vay) .  —  agro  .  .  .  Lanuvino  : 
Lanuvium  was  situated  on  one  of 
the  southwestern  spurs  (hence 
decurrens)  of  the  Alban  Hills,  on 
the  right  of  the  Appian  Way  as 
one  traveled  from  Rome.  It  is 
evident  from  vv.  17  ff.  that  Horace 


has  in  mind  for  his  Galatea  a  long 
journey  across  the  Adriatic  to 
Greece.  —  rava :  tawny  ;  cf.  Epod. 
16,  33  ravos  leones. 

5  f .  rumpat :  break  off.  If 
such  unfavorable  omens  as  are 
mentioned  here  appeared,  the  trav- 
eler would  feel  obliged  to  turn 
back  and  begin  his  journey  anew. 
—  per  obliquum  :  logically  modi- 
fying similis  sagittae  ;  translate, 
darting  across. 

7  f .  mannos :  ponies,  bred  in 
Gaul.  Cf.  Epod.  4,  14.  —  ego  : 
bearing  the  emphasis,  but  giving 
the  logical  contrast  —  'but  for  my 
friends.' — cui,  etc.:  i.e.  ei  cui 
timebo  .  .   .  suscitabo. 

9  ff.  •  I  will  anticipate  bad 
omens  by  securing  good.' —stan- 
tis :  stagnant.  —  divina  :  prophetic 
of;  cf.  Epist.  2,  3,  218  divina  fu- 
turi. — avis:  the  crow:  cf.  3.  17,  12. 
Also  Verg.   G.  i,  388  tu7n  cornix 

;i3 


3.  27,  "T 


HORATI 


IS 


oscinem  corvum  prece  suscitabo 
solis  ab  ortu. 

Sis  licet, felix,  ubicumque  mavis, 
et  memor  nostri,  Galatea,  vivas, 
teque  nee  laevus  vetet  ire  picus 
nee  yaga  cornix. 

Sed  vides  quanto  trepidet  tumultu 
pronus  Orion  ?  Ego  quid  s[t.  ater 
Hadriae  novi  sinus  et  quid  albus 


20  peccet  lapyx. 

plena  pltiviam  vocat  improba  voce. 
— oscinem :  a  technical  term  in  au- 
gury for  birds  that  give  omens  by 
their  cries ;  to  this  class  belong 
all  the  birds  named  in  this  ode 
(cf.  Festus  quoted  above)  ;  those 
whose  flight  was  significant,  such 
as  the  eagle  and  vulture,  were 
called  alites.  —  solis  ab  ortu :  a 
favorable  quarter. 

13  f.   sis  :  optative  subjunctive. 

—  licet:  added  paratactically  in 
the  sense  oi per  me  licet.,  to  show 
that  he  will  not  hinder.  Cf.  Plaut. 
Rud.  1 39  mea  quidetn  hercle  causa 
salvos  sis  licet.  - —  memor  nostri : 
cf.  3,  II,  51.  The  phrase  is  a 
formula  of  farewell . 

15  f.  laevus  :  when  observing 
the  omens  the  Roman  auspex  sat 
facing  the  south  so  that  the  east 

—  the  quarter  in  which  good 
omens  appeared  —  was  on  his  left, 
therefore  laevus  and  sinister  in 
the  technical  usage  may  mean  fa- 
vorable ;  the  Augustan  poets,  how- 


ever,  influenced  by  the  Greek 
usage,  employ  both  words  in  the 
sense  of  '  unlucky,'  so  that  confu- 
sion frequently  follows.  Here 
laevus  is  unfavorable.  —  vaga  : 
flitting. 

17  ff.  sed  vides,  etc. :  suddenly 
the  poet  remembers  the  dangers 
to  which  Galatea  will  be  exposed, 
and  exclaims  thus  in  anxious  warn- 
ing. The  abruptness  of  this 
strophe  after  the  smoothness  of  the 
preceding  corresponds  to  the 
change  in  mood.  —  trepidet :  as 
if  the  constellation  were  trembling 
at  the  storm  it  caused.  —  pronus : 
as  he  sets ;  cf.  i ,  28.  2 1  devexus 
Orion.  — ater :  i.e.  with  the  storm, 
but  the  word  has  also  by  associa- 
tion the  meaning  'gloonvy,"  fatal.' 
Cf.  I,  28,  13;  37.  27;  2.  14,  17.— 
albus  .  .  .  lapyx:  cf.  i,  7.  15 
albus  Notus  and  n.  —  peccet  : 
how  treacherous  he  is.  —  lapyx: 
the  last  two  verses  show  that  Hor- 
ace has  in  mind  a  voyage  to  Greece. 


314 


CARMINA 


[3.  27,  32 


25 


Hostium  uxores  puerique  caecos     -^'-s^^p^ciad 
sentiant  motus  orientis  Austri  et 
aeqtioris  nigri  fremitum  et  trementis 
verbere  ripas. 

Sic  et  Europe  niveum  doloso 
credidit  tauro  latus  et  scatentem         sta-'su  .- 
beluis  pontum  mediasque  fraudes 
palluit  audax. 

\  Nuper  in  pratis  studiosa  floruni  et 
debitae  Nymphis  opifex  coronae, 
nocte  sublustri  nihil  astra  praeter 
1     vidit  et  undas. 


DS>«,rv  X-\  *^  '    '^ 


21  ff.  "May  the  storms  smite 
our  enemies/  a  common  execra- 
tion ;  cf.  Verg.  G.  3,  ^xj^  di meliora 
pits  erroremque  Jiostibus  illiini; 
Ovid  A.  A.  2),  247  hostibus  evettiat 
tain  foedi  causa  pndoris.  —  caecos 
.  .  .  motus :  such  as  squalls  and 
sudden  storms.  —  sentiant:  cf.  2, 
7,  qfugam  sensi.  —  orientis :  ordi- 
narily snrgentis  is  used  of  a 
wind. 

23  f.  Notice  the  recurrence  of 
the  r-sounds.  —  nigri:  cf.  n.  to  i, 
5,7. — verbere:  the  lash  (of  the 
surf). 

25  ff.  sic  :  i.e.  '  as  confidently 
as  thou  dost  prepare  to  face  the 
dangers  of  the  sea.'  —  doloso  credi- 
dit:  for  the  juxtaposition,  cf.  i, 
6.  9  and  n. ;  also  3.  5,  33  perfidis 
se  credidit. — latus:  self;  cf.  2,  7, 
18.  —  scatentem  beluis:  cf.  i,  3, 
18.  —  medias  :  around  her.  — 
palluit  audax :  grew  pale  at  .  .  . 


in  her  boldness  ;  cf.  the  oxymoron 
with  3,  20,  3  f.  inaudax  raptor. 
With  this  transitive  use  oi pallere, 
cf.  Pers.  5.  184  sabbata  palles. 

29  ff.  nuper :  but  just  now ; 
emphatically  contrasting  Europa's 
position  as  described  in  vv.  29-30 
with  that  indicated  in  30-31. — 
debitae :  i.e.  as  vowed  ;  cf.  i ,  36,  2 
sanguine  debito.  —  nocte  sublustri : 
the  glimmering  night.  —  nihil  astra 
praeter,  etc.  :  so  Mosch.  2,  127  ff. 
17  8   0T£  8^  yaiyfi  airo  TrarpiSos  rjtv 

aVtvOtV,    I    <fxiLV€TO    8'    OVT     OLKTrj    TIS 

dXtppoOo<;  OVT  opos  aiTrv.  \  aW  drjp 
fxev  VTrepdev,  €V€p$c  8c  ttovtos  aTret- 
poiv.  ...  '  But  when  she  now 
was  far  off  from  her  own  country, 
and  neither  sea-beat  headland  nor 
steep  hill  could  now  be  seen, 
but  above,  the  air,  and  beneath, 
the  limitless  deep  .  .  .  (Lang). 
For  the  position  of  praeter,  see 
Intr.  32. 


315 


3.  27,  33l 


HORATI 


35 


40 


Quae  simul  centum  tetigit  potentem 
oppidis  Creten,  '  Pater,  —  o  relictum 
filiae  nomen,  pietasque  '  dixit 
'  victa  furore ! 

Vnde,quOjVeni  ?     Levis  una  mors  est 
virginum  culpae.     Vigilansne.ploro 
turpe  commissum,  an  vitiis  carentem 
ludit  imago 

vana,  quae  porta  fugiens  eburna 

Isoranium  ducit  ?     Meliusne  fluctus 
ire  per  longos  fuit,  an  recentis 
carpere  flores  ? 


33  ff.  Horace  adopted  that  form 
of  the  story  according  to  which 
the  bull  vanished  on  reaching 
Crete,  and  Europa  was  left  alone 
for  a  short  time  until  Zeus  reap- 
peared in  his  proper  form.  While 
alone  she  comes  to  herself  and 
breaks  out  in  self-reproaches.  — 
centum  .  .  .  potentem  oppidis  : 
the  Homeric  K-pyJTr]  cKaTo/ATroAts. 

34  ff.  pater :  her  first  word  re- 
minds her  that  by  her  folly  she 
has  lost  a  daughter's  right  to  ap- 
peal to  her  father  for  protection. 

—  filiae:  genitive  defining  nomen. 

—  furore :  /o/ly. 

37  ff .  unde  quo  :  the  compressed 
double  question  marks  her  excite- 
ment. Cf.  the  Homeric  tis  TroOtv 
ets  avSpw ;  also  Verg.  A.  10,  670 
quo  feror,  iinde  abii,  quae  tne  fuga 
qjienwe  reducit  ?  —  levis  una  mors  : 
imitated   by   Seneca    H.   O.    866 


levis  una  viors  est:  levis,  at  ex- 
tendi potest.  —  virginum :  the  gen- 
eralizing plural,  a  maiden's.  —  cul- 
pae :  dative ;  for  the  meaning  of 
the  word,  see  3,  6,  17.  —  vigilafis, 
etc. :  she  can  hardly  believe  that 
it  is  not  all  a  delusion.  —  ludit 
imago  :  cf.  Verg.  A.  i,  407  f.  quid 
nattiM  totiens  crudelis  tu  qjioque 
falsis  I  hidis  imaginibus  ? 

41.  porta  .  .  .  eburna:  whence 
false  dreams  issued.  Cf.  VergiPs 
imitation,  A.  6,  893  ff.,  of  Od.  19. 
562  ff.  sunt  geniinae  somni  portae. 
quaru/H  altera fertur  \  cornea,  qua 
veris  facilis  datur  exitus  uuibris. 
I  altera  candenti  perfecta  nitens 
elephantOj  \  sed  falsa  ad  caelum 
niittunt  insomnia  manes. 

42  f .  meliusne,  etc. :  in  ironi- 
cal self-reproach.  —  fluctus  .  .  . 
longos :  of  the  distance  she  has 
come.     Cf.  3,  3,  37  longus  pontus. 


316 


CARMINA 


[3.  27,  54 


45  Si  quis  infamem  mihi  nunc  iuvencum 

dedat  iratae,  lacerare  ferro  et 
frangere  enitar  modo  multum  amati 
cornua  monstri. 

v«— >*^    Impudens  liqui  patrios  penatis, 
50  impudens  Orcum  moror.     O  deorum 

si  quis  haec  audis,  utinam  inter  errem 
nuda  leones ! 

Antequam  turpis  macies  decentis 
occupet  malas  teneraeque  sucus 


45  ff.  si  quis  .  .  .  dedat :  a  vir- 
tual wish. —  nunc:  in  contrast  to 
the  time  when  she  yielded  to  his 
approaches.  —  lacerare  :  with  cor- 
nua; cf.  V.  71  f.  below. — enitar: 
even  in  her  lage  she  is  conscious 
of  her  own  weakness.  —  modo  .  .  . 
amati,  etc. :  in  the  meadow  she  had 
wreathed  his  horns  with  flowers. 

49  f .  impudens  :  she  now  feels 
the  shame  of  her  position  and  fears 
possible  starvation  or  slavery  — 
for  her,  a  princess.  Therefore 
she  prays  for  death.  —  liqui  patrios 
penatis :  so  Europa  exclaims  in 
Moschus'  poem  142  ff.  olixoi,  eyw 
fiiya  hrf  tl  Sufra/x/Aopos.  ^  pa  re 
owfia  I  TraT/Dos  dTroTrpoXiTrova-a  Koi 
€(nroix€vrj  /Sol'  rwSe  |  ieLvr)V  vuvtl- 
Xi-qv  i<f>iTro)  koi  TrXd^ofuu  oir), 
'Alas  for  me,  and  alas  again,  for 
mine  exceeding  evil  fortune,  alas 
for  me  that  have  left  my  father's 
^louse,  and  following  this  bull,  on 
a  strange  sea-faring  I  go,  and 
wander  lonely'  (Lang).  —  Orcum 

317 


moror :     /   keep    death     waitings 
(when  I  ought  to  seek  him). 

51  f .  si  quis :  equivalent  to 
quisqjiis.  Cf.  3,  24,  25  and  n.  — 
inter:  Intr.  32.  —  nuda:  defense- 
less. 

52  ff.  With  the  ancient  con- 
cept of  life  after  death  as  a  continu- 
ation of  the  present,  it  was  natural 
to  believe  that  in  the  other  world 
the  body  appeared  in  the  same 
form  in  which  it  left  this.  The 
cases  of  Dido  and  Deiphobus,  A. 
6.  450  and  494,  are  familiar  illus- 
trations. Also  Stat.  Si'h/.  2,  I, 
1 54  ff.  says  of  the  death  of  a  fav- 
orite boy  grattitn  est,  fata,  tamen. 
quod  non  mors  lenta  iacentis  \  exe- 
dit  puerile  decus  manesque  sub- 
ivit  I  integer  et  nulla  te/neratus 
corpora  dauino.  It  was  natural 
then  that  Europa  should  pray  for 
death  before  her  beauty  had  faded. 

53  ff.  decentis:  comely',  cf.  i, 
4,  6.  —  sucus:  cf.  Ter.  Eun.  318 
of  a  girl,  color  verus,  corpus  soli- 


3,  27,  55] 


HORATI 


55 


6o 


65 


defluat  praedae,  sp^eciosa  quaero 
pascere  tigris. 

Vilis  Europe,  pater  urget  absens. 
Quid  mori  cessas?     Potes  hac  ab  orno 
pendulum  zona  bene:  _te  secuta 
laedere  collum ; 

sive  te  rupes  et  acuta  leto 
saxa  delectant,  age  te  procellae 
crede  veloci,  nisi  erile  mavis 
carpere  pensum 

regius  sanguis,  dominaeque  tradi 
barbarae  paelex.'.    Aderat  querenti 


diun  et  suci  pieman.  —  praedae  : 
said  in  self-pity,  which  is  height- 
ened by  the  adjective  tenerae.  — 
speciosa :  while  still  fair. 

57  f .  vilis  :  she  recognizes  that 
she  has  cheapened  herself  by  her 
folly.  — pater  urget:  the  thought 
of  her  father  spurs  her  on  to  sui- 
cide. —  potes  hac  ab  orno,  etc.  :  so 
Helen  cries,  Eurip.  Hel.  298  ff. 
6a.v€.v  KpaTia-rov  •  Trtos  OdvotfJi  av 
ovv  KaXwq  ;  \  aa)C)^fiove<;  fiiv  a.y^(6- 
vai  /xcTapo-ioi  |  .  .  .  (T<f>ayaL  S' 
lyouo-tv  evyeves  tl  kol  kuXov.,  '  To 
die  is  best.  How  then  can  I 
die  nobly?  Unseemly  is  choking 
by  the  noose  in  mid-air,  .  .  .  but 
the  sword's  blows  have  something 
fair  and  noble  in  them.' 

59  f.  zona  bene  te  secuta  : 
which  fortunately  yon  have  with 
you.  Spoken  in  irony  :  her  girdle, 
emblem  of  maidenhood,  will  be  a 


fit  instrument  of  her  death.  — lae- 
dere :  in  place  of  the  harsher  eli- 
dere. 

61  ff.  sive:  iJr z/"j  cf.  1, 15. 25. — 
leto:  dative.  The  rocks  below 
the  cliffs  (rupes)  are  sharpened 
for  her  death.  —  procellae  :  which 
blow  off  the  cliffs  and  will  carry 
her  out  as  she  leaps  to  her  doom. 
—  erile  :  set  by  a  mistress.  —  car- 
pere pensum:  the  duty  of  en- 
slaved women  was  to  card  and 
spin  the  wool  assigned  them  by 
their  mistress.  Cf.  Hector's  fear 
for  Andromache,  //.  6,  456  Kai 
K£v  kv  Apyei  iovaa  Trpos  aAAi;s 
i(TTov  iK^atVots,  and  Prop.  4,  6,  15  f. 
tristis  erat  donms,  et  tristes  sua 
pensa  ministrae  \  carpebant,  me- 
dio nebat  et  ipsa  loco. 

65  f.  regius  sanguis :  spoken 
with  proud  indignation,  which 
prompts    the    adjective    barbarae 


318 


CARMINA 


[3,28 


75 


perfidum  ridens  Venus, et  remisso 
filius  arcu ; 

mox,  ubi  lusit  satis,  '  Abstineto  '  - 
dixit  '  irarum  calidaeque  rixae, 
cum  tibi  invisus  laceranda  reddet 
cornua  taurus. 

Vxor  invicti  lovis  esse  nescis. 
Mitte  singultus,  bene  ferre  magnam 
disce  fortunam  :  tua  sectus  orbis 
nomina  ducet.'y 


also.  Ct.  Creusa's  speech  Verg.  A. 
2,  785  fF.  non  ego  Myriitidomim 
sedes  Dolopiiinve  sicperbas  \  aspici- 
am,  aut  Gratis  servitinn  matribus 
tbo,  I  Dardanis,  et  divae  Veneris 
nunis.  —  aderat  querent! :  the 
goddess  comes  and  interrupts  the 
maiden's  self-reproaches. 

67  f.  perfidum:  cf.  i,  22,  23 
didce  ridentem.  —  remisso  .  .  .  arcu : 
with  bow  tmstrung,  for  his  task  is 
ended.  So  Tennyson  says,  Elea- 
iiore,  '  His  bowstring  slackened, 
languid  Love.' 

69  ff.  lusit  :  sc.  VettJis.  — 
irarum  .  .  .  rixae  :  genitive  of 
separation.  Intr.  94.  —  laceran- 
da, etc.  :  referring  in  mockery  to 
Europa's  wish  v.  45  ff. 


73  ff.  uxor  esse :  a  Greek  con- 
struction for  the  more  common 
te  Hxoruin  esse.  —  invicti :  '  so  it 
is  useless  for  thee  to  struggle 
against  thy  fate.'  —  mitte  :  cf.  3, 
8,  17.  —  sectus  orbis:  half  the 
world.  Cf.  Varro  L.  L.  5,  31 
divisa  est  caeli  regionibiis  terra  in 
Asiain  et  Enropam;  and  Plin. 
N.  H.  3,  5  Europam  pleriqtie 
inerito  non  tertiatn  portionem  fe- 
cere,  verut/t  aequam,  in  dims 
partes  ab  a/nne  Tanai  ad  Gadi- 
tanii/n  fretuin  universo  orbe  di- 
viso.  —  nomina  :  cf .  i ,  2,  15.  — 
ducet :  shall  take;  cf.  S.  2,  i, 
66  Laeliics  aid  qui  \  ditxit  ab 
oppressa  vieritum  Carthagine  no- 
fften. 


28 

'  Come,  Lyde,  bring  out  some  good  old  wine,  relax  your  fortified 
sobriety.  'Tis  now  past  noon  ;  we  must  be  quick  to  celebrate  with  cup 
and  song  Neptune's  great  holiday.  We'll  sing  in  amoebean  strains 
until  Night  claims  a  parting  song.' 

319 


3.  28,  I] 


HORATI 


The  festival  which  occasioned  this  ode  was  the  Neptunalia,  which 
fell  on  July  23.  The  people  celebrated  it  in  open  air  festival,  erecting 
booths  of  boughs,  called  umbrae,  along  the  banks  of  the  Tiber  or  on  the 
seashore,  for  protection  from  the  sun.  Horace,  however,  represents 
himself  as  on  his  farm,  where  he  bids  his  severe  housekeeper  join  him 
in  a  carouse.     Metre,  71. 

Festo  quid  potius  die 

Neptuni  faciam  }     Prome  reconditum, 
Lyde,  strenua  Caecubum, 

munitaeque  adhibe  vim  sapientiae. 
5  Inclinare  meridiem 

sends  et,  veluti  stet  volucris  dies, 
parcis  deripere  horreo 

cessantem  Bibuli  consulis  amphoram. 
Nos  cantabimus  invicem 


I  ft.  It  suddenly  occurs  to  Hor- 
ace that  it  is  the  day  of  Neptune's 
festival,  which  furnishes  him  an 
excuse  for  some  relaxation.  — 
prome:  cf.  i,  36,  11.  —  recondi- 
tum: hoarded  away  in  the  back 
of  the  apotheca ;  cf.  Epod.  9,  i 
repostiim  Caecubum.  —  strenua  : 
to  be  taken  with  prome,  hurry  and 
broach.  —  munitae  .  .  .  sapientiae: 
your  well  fortified  {and  stern) 
philosophy.  Lyde  is  evidently  not 
given  to  carouses,  but  Horace 
begs  her  for  once  to  do  violence 
to  her  strenuous  principles.  Some 
critics  have  wished  to  believe  that 
Lyde  —  who  probably  lived  only 
in  Horace's  imagination  —  was  a 
flute  girl,  yet  music  girls  possessed 
no  iminitam  sapientiam  to  hinder  a 
carouse,  and  the  whole  wit  of  Hor- 
ace's verses  lies  in  the  absurdity 


of  this  proposal  to  his  severe  and 
probably  old  housekeeper  to  join 
him  in  a  drinking  bout  and  song. 

5  f .  'It  is  already  late  and  we 
must  hurry.' — inclinare  meridiem : 
a  common  belief  was  that  the  sun 
and  stars  were  fixed  in  the  vaulted 
sky,  which  revolved,  carrying  them 
with  it.  Cf.  Cic.  Tiisc.  3,  3,  7  in- 
clinato  iam  in  postmeridianum 
tempus  die.  —  et :  and  yet.  —  stet : 
were  standing  still. 

7  f .  deripere :  to  hurry  down. 
Cf.  3,  21,  7,  descende  and  n.  With 
the  infin.,  cf.  Epist.  i,  3,  16  ut 
tangere  vitet.  —  horreo  :  i.e.  the 
apotheca.  —  cessantem:  as  if  the 
jar  were  reluctant. ^Bibuli :  M.  Cal- 
purnius  Bibulus,  consul  in  59  B.C. 

9  f .  nos :  /,  as  tu,  v.  1 1  shows  ; 
cf.  I,  6,  5  and  n.— invicem:  /;/ 
my    turn.  —  viridis  :     the    tradi- 


320 


CARMINA 


[3.  29 


•5 


Neptunum  et  viridis  Nereidum  comas ; 
tu  curva  recines  lyra 

Latonam  et  celeris  spicula  Cynthiae ; 
summo  carmine  quae  Cnidon 

fulgentisque  tenet  Cycladas,  et  Paphum 
iunctis  visit  oloribus ; 

dicetur  merita  Nox  quoque  nenia. 


tional  color  of  the  sea-nymphs. 
In  general  the  colors  and  ap- 
pearance of  the  sea  are  attributed 
to  the  divinities  whose  home  is 
in  it ;  hence  Thetis  is  mater 
caerula,  Epod.  13,  16.  Cf.  also 
Stat.  Silv.  I,  5,  16  f.  ite  deae _ 
virides  liqtndosqne  advertite  vul- 
tus  I  et  vitreiaii  teneris  crineni 
redhnite  corymbis. 

II  f.  recines:  sing  in  answer- 
ing strains.  —  Latonam  .  .  .  spicu- 
la :  note  the  correspondence  with 
V.  10.  With  the  theme,  cf.  Eurip. 
Hec.  462  f.  uvv  ArfXidaiv  re  kov- 
pats  'Apre/xtSds  re  ^eas  xpvaeav 
a/xirvKa  To^a  t  evXoyyaw.  '  And 
with  the  Delian  maidens  I  will 
praise  the  golden  head-band  and 
the  weapons  of  the  goddess  Arte- 
mis.' 

13  f.  summo  carmine :  at  the 
end  of ;  cf.  Epist.   1,1,1  sutnma 


dicende  cainena  ;  and  luv.  i,  5 
sum  mi  libri.  —  quae :  i.e.  eam  quae ; 
cf.  3,  26,  9.  The  verb  cantabimus 
still  continues.  With  this  para- 
phrase for  Venus,  cf.  the  address  of 
Posidippus  Ant/i.  Pal.  12,  131,  i  f. 
a  KvTrpov  a  re  Kv6r)pa  Koi  a  Mi  A77- 
Tov  CTrot^veis  |  kol  to  KaXov  ^vptrj^ 
LTnroKpoTov  SaTTcSov.  —  fulgentis  : 
cf.  I,  14,  19  nitentes  Cycladas. 
The  worship  of  Aphrodite  was 
widespread  among  the  islands  of 
the  Aegean,  and  was  especially 
cultivated  at  Naxos. 

15  f.  iunctis  .  .  .  oloribus  : 
drawn  by,  etc.  The  swan  was 
sacred  to  the  goddess  and  in  po- 
etry frequently  draws  her  car.  For 
the  construction,  cf.  3,  3,  16. — 
dicetur:  cf.  i,  6,  5  and  n. — Nox: 
'we  will  continue  until  nightfall.' 
—  nenia:  a  good-night  song:  not 
here  a  '  dirge '  as  in  2,  i,  38. 


29  f^--^ 

■  Maecenas,  child  of  Tuscan  kings,  long  have  the  wine  and  roses 
waited  for  thee  on  my  Sabine  farm.  Do  not  delay  ;  leave  thy  lofty  city 
pile,  and  all  that  thou  canst  see  from  it  of  Tivoli  and  Tusculum,  the 
smoke  and  din  of  Rome,  and  soothe  thy  cares  with  grateful,  simple 
feasts  (1-16).  Now  rages  dog-day  heat  and  drought:  the  shepherd 
HOR.  CAR.  —  21  321 


3,  29,  I]  HORATI 

and  his  flock  seek  the  shade  and  cool,  and  every  breeze  is  stilled.  Yet 
thou  art  anxious  for  our  state  and  fear  our  furthest  border  foes  (17-28). 
All  that  is  wrong.  God  has  hidden  the  future  from  man's  sight  and 
laughs  at  mortals'  anxious  care.  Deal  with  the  present  and  be  satisfied ; 
for  all  besides  goes  like  a  stream,  now  quiet,  now  wild  (29-41).  He 
shall  be  master  of  himself  who  lives  the  present  hour ;  that  single  gift 
Heaven  cannot  take  back  (41-48).  Dame  Fortune  plays  with  man, 
but  I  will  not  be  her  sport.  If  she  be  kind,  'tis  well;  but  if  she  fly 
away,  I  am  unchanged  with  honor  still.  No  timid  trader  I  to  bargain 
with  the  gods  to  save  my  goods  when  the  south  wester  blows.  Nay,  from 
the  storm  my  little  boat  and  the  Twin  Gods  will  keep  me  still  unharmed 

(49-64).' 

The  last  place  before  the  epilogue  in  his  collected  lyrics  Horace  thus 
gives  to  the  friend  and  patron  to  whom  he  had  dedicated  the  three 
books.  See  Introductory  n.  to  i,  i.  Maecenas' care  for  the  well-being 
of  the  state  and  anxiety  over  possible  foreign  foes  furnish  Horace  an 
opportunity  to  urge  again  the  wisdom  of  thinking  solely  of  the  present 
hour ;  that  only  that  which  we  already  have  is  surely  ours.  He  then 
goes  to  develop  in  his  own  manner  a  kindred  theme  —  independence 
of  the  whims  of  fortune. 

The  allusions  in  vv.  26-28  seem  to  fix  the  date  as  26-25  B.C.,  when 
Augustus  was  absent  in  the  West.     Metre,  68. 

Tyrrhena  regum  progenies,  tibi 
non  ante  verso  lene  merum  cado 
cum  flore,  Maecenas,  rosarum  et 
pressa  tiiis  balanus  capillis 

5  iamdudum  apud  me  est :  eripe  te  morae, 

ne  semper  udum  Tibur  et  Aefulae  ^ 

I  ff.  Tyrrhena,  etc. :  see    i,  i,  here  the  oil  pressed  from  the  nut 

I  and  n.  — verso :  '  tipped '  to  pour  for  unguent ;  translate,  nut  oil.  — 

the  wine  into  the   mixer ;  hence  iamdudum,   etc. :    *  I  have  waited 

broached. — lene:    mellow;    cf.    3,  long;  come.'     Cf.  Epist.    i,  5,  7 

21,8  languidiora  vina. — flore  .  .  .  iamduditvt   splendet  focus  et  til. 

rosarum :  cf.  2, 3,  \\  flares  ainoenae  tnunda  snpellex. 
rosae ;  3,  15,  15.  —  balanus:  prop-  5  ff.    morae  :    hesitancy.  —  ne. 

erly  the   myrobalatms,  '  ben  nut,'  etc. :    a  purpose   clause  following 

grown    in    Egypt     and    Arabia ;  erzpe.     Translate,  however,  as  a 

322 


CARMINA 


[3,  29,  14 


declive  contempleris  arvum  et 
Telegoni  iuga  parricidae. 

Fastidiosam  desere  copiam  et 
molem  propinquam  nubibus  arduis ; 
omitte  mirari  beatae 

fumum  et  opes  strepitumque  Romae. 

Plerumque  gratae  divitibus  vices, 
mundaeque  parvo  sub  lare  pauperum 


negative  exhortation,  do  not  al- 
ways, etc.  —  udum  Tibur  :  well 
watered  Tivoli.  For  the  applica- 
bility of  the  adjective  cf.  i,  7,  13 
and  n.  —  Aefulae,  etc.  :  a  town 
among  the  hills  between  Tibur 
and  Praeneste. 

8.  Telegoni,  etc.  :  Tusculum, 
founded  by  Telegonus,  the  son  of 
Ulysses  and  Circe.  When  his 
mother  sent  him  in  quest  of  his 
father  he  came  to  Ithaca  and  there 
unwittingly  slew  Ulysses.  With 
the  preceding  verses  cf.  Ovid.  Fast. 
4,  71  f.  et  iaui  Telegoni,  iarn  f/toe- 
nia  Tiburis  udi  \  stabant. 

9  f.  fastidiosam  :  cloying.  — 
molem  propinquam,  etc. :  thy 
pile,  near  neighbor,  etc.  Cf.  2, 
15,  2.  The  palace  called  alta 
dovius  Epod.  9,  3  which  Maecenas 
built  on  the  Esquiline.  It  had  a 
lofty  tower  which  commanded  a 
view  of  the  Campagna  and  sur- 
rounding hills.  From  this  tiirris 
Maecenatiatta,  as  it  was  later 
called,  Nero  is  said  (Suet.  Nero 
38)  to  have  watched  the  burning 
of  Rome. 


II  f.  omitte:  cf.  the  simple 
mitte  I,  38,  3 ;  3,  27, 74.  —  beatae  : 
cf.  I,  4,  14;  3,  26,  9. —  fumum  et 
opes,  etc. :  this  graphic  line  is  fa- 
mous ;  Tennyson's  verse,  /n  Mem. 
89,  is  a  reminiscence  of  it,  '  The 
dust  and  din  and  steam  of  town.' 

13.  A  general  statement  —  'the 
rich  suffer  from  ennui  and  are 
eager  for  a  change  simply  for  a 
change's  sake,  and  not  because  it 
brings  them  any  real  advantage.' 
Cf.  Lucretius'  description  of  the 
uneasy  3.  1057  ff.  haud  ita  (i.e. 
if  men  could  know  the  cause  of 
their  uneasiness)  vitam  agerent 
lit  nunc  plerumque  videtniis  \  quid 
sibi  quisque  velit  nescire  et  quae- 
rere  semper  \  commidare  locum, 
quasi  onus  deponere  possit ;  \  exit 
saepe  foras  magnis  ex  aedibus  ilL\ 
I  esse  domi  qteem  pertaesumst,subi- 
toque  revertit  \  quippe  /oris  nilo 
melius  qui  sentiat  esse. '  currit  agens 
mannos  ad  villain  praecipitanter . 

—  plerumque:  cf.  i.  34,  7  and 
n.  —  gratae  :  sc.  sunt.  —  vices  : 
a  change. 

14  ff .    mundae  :  simple,  striking 


323 


3.  29,  >5] 


HORATI 


»5 


25 


cenae  sine  aulaeis  et  ostro 
soUicitam  explicuere  frontem. 

lam  clarus  occultum  Andromedae  pater 
ostendit  ignem,  iam  Procyon  furit 
et  Stella  vesani  Leonis, 
sole  dies  referente  siccos ; 

iam  pastor  umbras  cum  grege  languido 
rivumque  fessus  quaerit  et  horridi 
dumeta  Silvani,  caretque 
ripa  vagis  taciturna  ventis  : 

_tu_civitatem  quis  deceat  status 
curas  et  urbi  sollicitus  times 


the  mean  between  pretentiousness 
and  cheap  squalor,  as  Horace  him- 
self defines  the  word,  S.  2,  2,  65  f. 
mimdus  erit,  qui  non  offendet  sor- 
dibus  alque  \  in  neutra/n  partem 
cullus  miser.  Cf.  n.  on  7imnditiis 
I,  5,  5.  —  lare:  roof\  cf.  i,  12,44. 
—  pauperum:  cf.  n.  on  paiiperiei/i 
1 ,  1 ,  18.  —  aulaeis  :  tapestries.  — 
ostro  :  used  in  the  aulaea  and  up- 
holstery. —  explicuere  :  gnomic 
perfect.     Intr.  103. 

17  ff.  '  The  dog  days  are  come  ; 
it  is  the  time  for  rest.'  —  clarus 
occultum :  with  this  antithesis,  cf. 
1 , 6, 9  and  n .  —  Andromedae  pater : 
Cepheus,  once  king  of  Egypt,  hus- 
band of  Cassiopea  and  united  with 
her  in  the  sky  in  the  constellation 
that  bears  her  name.  It  rose  July 
9.  —  Procyon  :  the  lesser  dog-star, 
rising  July  15.  —  Leonis  :  now 
called  Regulus,  rising  July  30. 

21  ff.    iam  pastor,  etc. :  cf.  the 


anonymous  Greek  epigram  ;^w 
TTOLfiav  iv  opeaai  [xeaaix/Spivbv 
a.y)(66i  TTttya?  |  crvpicrSwv,  Aacrt'us 
Bajxvio  VTTo  TrXaravov  \  Kavfiar 
OTTiopivoio  (fivywv  Kirvos-  '  And 
the  shepherd  on  the  mountains  at 
midday,  piping  by  a  spring  and 
shunning  the  heat  of  the  summer 
dog-star  in  a  copse  under  a  thick 
plane  tree  ; '  and  Theognis'  impa- 
tience, 1039  f.,  at  those  who  do 
not  fortify  themselves  in  hot 
weather  a.cf)pove<;  avOpomoi  km 
vrjiTiOL,  otTtves  olvov  \  prj  irivova 
aarpov  kol  kvvos  apxop-tvov.  '  Silly 
senseless  men.  who  drink  not  wine 
while  the  Dog-star  is  supreme  ! ' 

—  rivum:  cf.  2,  5,  6  and  3,  13, 
9-12.  —  horridi:  rough,  as  be- 
comes the  dweller  in  the  thickets ; 
cf.  n.  to  Epod.  2,  22. 

25  ff.  tu  :  '  The  shepherd  and 
his  sheep  rest,  but  you,'  etc.  Cf. 
2,   9,  9.  —  status  :    policy.     The 


324 


CARMINA 


Ts.  29, 34 


30 


quid  Seres  et  regnata  Cyro 

Bactra  parent  Tanaisque  discors. 

Prudens  futuri  temporis  exitum 
caliginosa  nocte  premit  deus, 
ridetque  si  mortalis  ultra 

fas  trepidat.     Quod  adest  memento 

componere  aequus  :  cetera  fluminis 
ritu  feruntur,  nunc  medio  alveo 


reference  is  apparently  to  Maece- 
nas' position  as  Augustus'  chief 
adviser  in  the  settlement  of  the 
empire,  and  as  the  Emperor's  rep- 
resentative during  his  absence  in 
26-25  B.C.  —  urbi:  with  both  sol- 
licitus  and  times. — Seres,  etc.: 
Horace  ironically  chooses  remote 
peoples  to  show  how  needless 
Maecenas'  fears  are.  —  regnata 
Cyro:  cf.  2,  6,  11. — Bactra:  the 
farthest  part  of  the  Parthian  Em- 
pire. —  Tanais  :  i.e.  the  Scythians. 
With  this  use  of  the  river  for  the 
people  who  dwell  by  it,  cf.  2,  9,  21  ; 
20,  20.  —  discors  :  and  so  not  to 
be  feared  by  us. 

29  ff.  The  uncertainty  of  to- 
morrow and  the  folly  of  being 
anxious  for  it.     Cf.  Theog.  1075  ff- 

eoTi  TcXevTTjv  |,  yvtovai,  ottcos  fxeX- 
Att  TovTO  Oeo'i  reXeaai.  \  opcfivr) 
yap  TtVaTai.  '  Of  that  which  is 
yet  unaccomplished  it  is  most 
difficult  to  recognize  the  end  and 
know  how  God  will  complete  it. 
A  mist  is  stretched  before  us.' 
—  prudens  .   .   .  deus:  cf.  1.3. 

3 


21.  —  caliginosa:  cf.  o/a^vry  in  the 
passage  of  Theognis  just  quoted, 
and  luv.  6,  556  et  genus  humatmiit 
damnat  caligo  futuri. 

31  f.  ridet :  laughs  in  scorn ; 
cf.  3.  27,  67  ridens  Venus.  — 
mortalis  ultra,  etc. :  '  mortal  should 
have  mortal's  thoughts ; '  cf.  2, 
16,  17.  —  trepidat:  frets  him- 
self; cf.  2,  II,  4. — quod  adest, 
etc. :  one  of  Horace's  favorite 
rules  for  a  wise  life.  So  Pind. 
P.  3,  21  ff.  tuTi  8«  (fivkov  dv- 
dpJjTTOLcrL  fJuiraLOTarov,  \  oaris  ala- 
■)(yvuiv  iTTLXiitpLa  TrairTaiveL  to, 
TTopau),  I  fieTafiwvLa  $r}pevwv  aKpdv- 
Tots  i\irL(Tiv.  '  There  is  a  tribe 
most  foolish  among  men.  of  such 
as  scorn  the  things  of  home  and 
gaze  at  that  which  is  far  off,  chas- 
ing vain  objects  with  hopes  that 
shall  never  be  fulfilled.' 

33  ff.  aequus :  i.e.  '  keep  thy- 
self unruffled  whether  the  hour 
bring  good  or  ill.'  —  cetera :  i.e. 
all  the  future.  —  ritu:  like;  cf.  3, 
14,  I  and  n.  —  feruntur :  are  swept 
along;  marking  the  impossibility 
of  directing  the  future.     Cf.  Sen. 


25 


3»  29,  35] 


HORATI 


35 


40 


cum  pace  delabentis  Etruscum 
in  mare,  nunc  lapides  adesos 

stirpisque  raptas  et  pecus  et  domos 
volventis  una,  non  sine  montium 
clamore  vicinaeque  silvae, 
cum  fera  diluvies  quietos 

inritat  amnis.     Ille  potens  sui 
laetusque  deget,  cui  licet  in  diem 
dixisse  '  Vixi ;  eras  uel  atra 
nube  polum  pater  occupato, 


Epist.  23  ceteri,  eorjim  more  quae 
flmninibus  mnatant,  non  euni  sed 
ferunUir.  —  nunc  medio  alveo, 
etc. :  most  of  the  rivers  known  to 
Horace  were  mountain  streams, 
which  in  dry  seasons  are  small  and 
quiet,  but  after  a  rainfall  become 
swollen  torrents  quickly. — Etrus- 
cum :  the  verse  is  hypermetric. 
Intr.  68.  —  lapides  adesos,  etc. : 
cf .  //.  II,  492  ff.  o)?  8  oTTore  ttXtj- 
6wv  TTora/xos  TreSiovSe  KartifTLV  | 
)(eLfiOLppov<;  KaT  6p€a<f>LV,  ovra^o- 
/xevos  Atos  o/xIBpoj.  \  TroAAas  8e 
8pv<;  d^aAeas,  TroAAas  Si  t£  Trev/cas 
(  iacfyiperai,  and  Lucret  i,  281  ff. 
et  cum  mollis  aquae  ferttir  natura 
repente  \  flumine  abiindanti,  qtiam 
largis  imbribus  auget  \  motitibus 
ex  altis  magnus  decursns  aquai,  \ 
frag7itina  coniciens  silvarum  ar- 
bustaque  iota.  |  .  .  .  tta  magno 
turbidus  ivibri  .  .  .  amn/s  \  dat 
sonitu  magno  stragem  volvitque 
sub  undis  \  grandia  saxa. 

37  ff.    raptas :    with   all   three 


nouns.  —  clamore  :  personifying 
the  mountains  and  woods. 

41.  potens  sui:  independent: 
i.e.  not  enslaved  by  his  thoughts 
of  the  morrow,  by  '  hope  to  rise  or 
fear  to  fall.'  The  dependent  man  is 
described  Epist.  i,  16,  65  nam  qui 
cupiet,  metuet  quoque ;  porro  \  qui 
metuens  vivet,  liber  mihi  non  erit 
icmquam. 

43  ff .  '  To-day  is  mine ;  let  to- 
morrow be  what  it  will,  it  cannot 
take  from  me  that  which  I  have 
once  enjoyed.'  A  common  senti- 
ment. Cf.  Sen.  Epist.  12  in  som- 
num  ituri  laeti  hilar  esque  dicamus : 
'  vixi  et  qtiem  dederat  cursum  For- 
tuna,  peregi.''  Mart,  i,  15,  11  f. 
non  est,  crede  mihi,  sapientis  di- 
cere:  ^7/ivam.''  \  sera  nimis  vita 
est  crastina.  vive  hodie ;  5,  58, 
7  f.  eras  vives  ?  hodie  iam  vivere, 
Postione,  serum  est.  \  ille  sapit 
quisqnis,  Postume,  vixit  heri.  — 
dixisse  :  with  the  tense,  cf.  3,  4,  51, 
—  pater:  cf.  i,  2,  2. 


326 


CARMINA 


[3.  29,  58 


45 


50 


55 


vel  sole  puro  :  non  tamen  inritum 
quodcumque  retro  est  eflficiet,  neque 
diffinget  infectumque  reddet 
quod  fugiens  semel  hora  vexit.' 

Fortuna,  saevo  laeta  negotio  et 
ludum  insolentem  ludere  pertinax, 
transmutat  incertos  honores, 
nunc  mihi,  nunc  alii  benigna. 

Laudo  manentem  :  si  celeris  quatit 
pennas,  resigno  quae  dedit  et  mea 
virtute  me  involvo  probamque 
pauperiem  sine  dote  quaero. 

Non  est  meum,  si  mugiat  Africis 
malus  procellis,  ad  miseras  preces 


45  ff.  inritum  :  void.  —  diffin- 
get :  change.  —  infectum  reddet : 
destroy.  —  fugiens  :  ///  its  flight . 

49  ff.  cf.  Dryden's  famous  para- 
phrase, •  Fortune  that  with  mali- 
cious joy  I  Does  Man,  her  slave, 
oppress,  I  Proud  of  her  office  to 
destroy.  |  Is  seldom  pleased  to 
bless :  I  Still  various,  and  incon- 
stant still,  I  But  with  an  inclination 
to  be  ill.  I  Promoted,  degrades,  de- 
lights in  strife,  |  And  makes  a  lot- 
tery of  life.  I  I  can  enjoy  her 
while  she's  kind ;  |  But  when  she 
dances  in  the  wind,  |  And  shakes 
her  wings  and  will  not  stay.  |  I 
puff  the  prostitute  away :  |  The 
little  or  the  much  she  gave,  is 
quickly  resigned.  |  Content  with 
poverty  my  soul  I  arm.  |  And  vir- 
tue, though  in  rags,  will  keep  me 
warm.' 


49  ff.  laeta  :  rejoicing  in.  — 
ludum:  cf.  2,  i,  3.  —  ludere:  Intr. 
108. — transmutat  honores:  cf.  i, 
34.  14  ff. 

52.  mihi :  Horace  here  lapses 
into  his  common  habit  of  using 
himself  as  a  concrete  illustration 
of  the  principle  (here  of  indepen- 
dence) he  has  been  urging. 

54  ff.  pennas :  Fortune  is  al- 
ways winged  :  cf .  i ,  34,  1 5 .  —  re- 
signo :  /  yield  back ;  apparently  a 
book-keeping  term  '  to  carry  to 
the  other  side  of  the  account.'  -  to 
credit  back.'  —  me  involvo:  his 
honor  is  his  only  cloak.  Cf. 
Plato's  proposal  for  his  ideal  state 
J?e/>.  5,  457  A.  dperriv  dvTLifjuaTiiDV 
a/xffiUcrovTaL  (ai  yvvoLKC^}.  — 
quaero  :  as  a  lover  his  bride. 

57.  non  est  meum :  colloquial, 
ifs  not  my  ivay.     Cf.  Plant.  Asiti. 


327 


3.  29,  59]  HORATI 

decurrere  et  votis  pacisci, 
6o  ne  Cypriae  Tyriaeque  merces 

addant  avaro  divitias  mari : 
tunc  me  biremis  praesidio  scaphae 
tutum  per  Aegaeos  tumultus 
aura  feret  geminusque  Pollux. 

190  Ar.  tion  meum  est.     Cl.  nee  point  is  that  a  tiny  boat  will  save 

meuin  quidem   edepol.  —  mugiat :  a  man  from  the  storms  of  life  if 

cf.  I,  14,  5.  only  he   possess   a  soul    content 

59  f .    votis   pacisci :    ironically  within   itself.  —  aura  :   the  breeze, 

said   of   the    common    '  bargain '  contrasted  with  Africis  procellis. 

prayer.  —  Cypriae  Tyriaeque  :  con-  —  geminus    Pollux  :    Castor    and 

Crete  for  '  Oriental.'  Pollux,   who   will  secure  him  the 

61  ff.   avaro  .  .  .  mari:  acorn-  favoring  breeze  and  a  safe  voyage, 

mon  personification;  cf.  i,  28,  18.  For  the  Dioscuri  as  protectors  of 

—  biremis  :  two-oared  skiff.     The  sailors,  se§  i,  3,  2  and  n. 

In  the  prologue  to  the  three  books  of  odes  Horace  expresses  the 
modest  hope  that  Maecenas  will  count  him  a  lyric  poet;  in  the  epi- 
logue he  triumphantly  declares  that  he  has  built  a  monument  of  verse 
that  will  outlast  bronze  and  unnumbered  time  itself.  He  boasts  that 
his  fame  shall  grow  when  he  is  dead,  and  that  so  long  as  Rome  shall 
last,  men  shall  say  that  he  was  the  first  to  transplant  Aeolian  verse  to 
Italy.     So  let  the  Muse  place  the  laurel  crown  upon  his  brow. 

It  is  little  wonder  that  when  Horace  surveyed  the  substantial  body 
of  lyric  verse  which  he  was  about  to  intrust  to  the  world,  he  felt  a  nat- 
ural pride  in  his  accomplishment.  This  feeling  was  undoubtedly  in- 
creased by  the  thought  of  his  humble  origin  and  by  the  memory  of  his 
early  struggles  for  recognition  and  of  the  envious  scorn  he  had  aroused 
among  the  noble  poetasters  of  his  day.  Of  this  last,  however,  there  is 
no  hint  in  this  ode.  Horace  now  knew  that  his  fame  was  secure.  He 
was  the  first  Roman  to  write  a  large  amount  of  lyric  poetry,  and  his 
odes  had  already  received  the  favorable  judgment  of  the  best  critics  in 
Rome.  If  to  our  modern  taste  he  seems  too  frank  in  expression,  we 
must  remember  that  antiquity  apparently  took  no  such  offense,  for  he 
had  many  predecessors,  and  later  poets  did  not  hesitate  to  speak  with 
equal  boldness.     Metre,  only  i.  i  and  here,  53. 

328 


CARMINA 


[3.  30.  8 


Exegi  monumentum  acre  perennius 
regalique  situ  pyramidum  altius, 
quod  non  imber  edax,  non  Aquilo  impotens 
possit  diruere  aut  innumerabilis 
annorum  series  et  fuga  temporum. 
Non  omnis  moriar,  multaque  pars  mei 
vitabit  Libitinam  ;  usque  ego  postera 
crescam  laude  recens ;  dum  Capitolium 


I  ff .  exegi :  emphasizing  the 
completion  of  the  work.  Horace 
may  have  had  in  mind  Pindar's 
boast,  P.  6,  7  ff.  eToifj.o'i  vfivwv 
Orjcravpos  .  ■  ■  T€r£t;(icrTat  .  .  .  |  tov 
ovTC  ^eijaeptos  OfifSpo^  eTraKTos 
ikdwv  €pi.(ip6ixov  vec^e  Aas,  |  arpaTos 
afittXiX'^s,  ovr'ave/AOs  i<ifxvxov<;  dA.6s 
a$OL(n  7ra/A</)upcp  i^epaSei  |  Tvirrofxe- 
vov.  'A  ready  treasury  of  song  has 
now  been  built.  .  .  .  neither  winter 
storm,  coming  fiercely  from  the 
thunder  cloud,  a  grim  host,  nor 
wind-blast  shall  carry  it  to  the 
secret  recesses  of  the  sea,  beaten 
by  the  sweeping  rubble.'  Cf.  also 
Ovid's  imitation  of  Horace  in  the 
epilogue  to  the  Metamorphoses, 
iavique  opus  exegi  quod  nee  lovis 
ira  nee  ignis  \  nee  poterit  ferruni 
nee  edax  abolere  vetustas,  etc. 

2  ff .  situ  :  pile.  —  pyramidum  : 
the  lofty  pyramids  have  naturally 
been  a  measure  of  man's  .supremest 
accomplishment  in  both  ancient 
and  more  modern  times.  —  quod: 
such  that,  tic. — edax:  frequently 
applied  to  time,  e.g.  Anth.  Lat. 
1 167, 46  M.  quae  non  tern  pus  edax, 
non  rapit  ira  lovis.    Claud.  Cann. 


min.  34,  5  aetatis  spatiunt  non 
tenuavit  edax.  —  impotens  :  power- 
less to  harm,  not  *  weak,'  as  in  i , 
37,  10.  —  fuga :  cf.  2, 14, 1  fugaces 
anni ;  3,  29,  48. 

6  f .  non  omnis  nloriar,  etc. :  cf. 
Ovid's  imitations  Am.  i,  15,  42 
parsque  mei  multa  super stes  erit ; 
Met.  15, 875  f.  parte  tamen  meliore 
mei  super  alta  perennis  \  astra 
ferar.  —  Libitina  :  the  goddess  at 
whose  temple  all  the  requirements 
for  funerals  were  rented  out  and 
where  the  registry  of  deaths  was 
kept.  Therefore  by  metonymy, 
'the  rites  of  death.' 

7.  usque :  still,  on  and  on.  — 
crescam :  i.e.  '  my  glory.'  —  re- 
cens :  ever  new.  —  dum  Capito- 
lium, etc. :  in  the  last  half  of  the 
first  century  before  our  era  the 
vast  extent  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire and  the  fixity  of  Roman  in- 
stitutions made  a  strong  appeal  to 
the  imaginations  of  men  ;  the  per- 
manence of  Rome  became  the 
measure  of  all  permanence ;  it  is 
at  this  time  that  we  find  the  phrase 
nrbs  aeterna  first  applied  to  the 
city.     Horace   and    others   chose 


i. 


329 


3.  30,  9] 


HORATI 


•5 


scandet  cum  tacita  virgine  pontifex, 
dicar,  qua  violens  obstrepit  Aufidus 
et  qua  pauper  aquae  Daunus  agrestium 
regnavit  populorum  ex  humili  potens, 
princeps  Aeolium  carmen  ad  Italos 
deduxisse  modos.     Sume  superbiam 
quaesitam  meritis  et  mihi  Delphica 
lauro  cinge  volens,  Melpomene,  comam. 


the  Capitol  as  the  most  significant 
center  of  Roman  institutions.  Cf. 
Verg.  A.  9,  44.6  S.  /or/ uuaii amdo  ! 
si  quid  inea  carmina  possunt^  \ 
nulla  dies  umquant  niemori  vos 
exiiiiet  aevo,  \'dum  dof/ius  Aeneae 
Capitoli  inmobile  saxutn  \  accolet. 
Ovid  Trist.  3,  7,  50  ff.  vie  tavieii 
extincto  favia  superstes  erit,  \ 
dutnqiie  suis  victrix  omnem  de 
viontibus  orbem  \  prospiciet  domi- 
cilii Martia  Ro»ia,  legar.  Also 
Mart.  9.  I,  5  ff. 

9.  scandet,  etc.  :  we  do  not 
know  whether  Horace  refers  to 
any  regular  procession  ;  it  is  most 
probable  that  he  mentions  the 
Vestal  Virgin  and  Pontifex  simply 
as  representatives  of  two  ancient 
institutions. 

10  ff.  dicar  :  meti  shall  say.  — 
qua,  etc. :  i.e.  '■  I  shall  be  honored 
in  the  district  where  I  was  born.' 

—  obstrepit  :  the  Aufidus  is  a 
mountain  stream  in  its  upper 
course.  — pauper  aquae  :  cf.  Epod. 
3,  16  siticulosae  Apuliae :  Ovid 
Met.   14,  510  arida  Dauni  arva. 

—  Daunus:  cf.  n.  to  i,  22,  14. — 
populorum  :    object   of  regnavit; 


a  Greek  construction.  —  ex  humili 
potens :  with  Daunus,  a  ruler 
sprung  from  low  estate. 

13  f.  princeps  :  Horace  ignores 
Catullus.  —  Aeolium:  cf.  i,  i,  34 
and  n. ;  2,  13,24.  —  Italos:  since 
the  conquest  of  Italy,  equivalent 
to  Latinos.  —  deduxisse  :  com- 
posed', apparently  a  metaphor 
taken  from  spinning.  Cf.  Epist  2, 
I,  225  tenui  dediicta  poemata  filo, 
and  our  common  '  spin,'  '  to  run  on 
at  length,'  'to  relate.' — modos: 
strains.  Horace's  claim  to  emi- 
nence is  that  he  has  been  the  pio- 
neer in  writing  lyric  poetry  after  the 
manner  of  the  best  of  the  Greeks. 

14  ff .  sume  superbiam  :  i.e.  '  as 
is  thy  right,  for  thou,  goddess, 
hast  inspired  all  my  song.'  Cf. 
the  acknowledgment  4,  3,  24  quod 
spiro  et  placeo,  si  placeo  tiiiim 
{Fieri)  est.  —  Delphica :  cf.  4. 2, 9, 
laurea  Apollinari.  —  volens  :  gra- 
ciously ;  with  propitius  a  common 
formula  in  prayers.  So  Livy  i, 
1 6,  3  precibus  exposcunt  uti  volens 
propitius  suam  semper  sospitet 
progenicm.  —  Melpomene  :  cf.  n. 
to  I,  1,33. 


330 


LIBER   QVARTVS 
I 

Ten  years  after  the  publication  of  what  he  had  regarded  as  the 
definitive  edition  of  his  lyric  poems,  Horace  gathered  into  a  fourth 
book  some  occasional  odes  written  at  the  request  of  Augustus,  and  cer- 
tain other  poems.  See  Intr.  9.  At  the  head  of  the  collection  he 
placed  some  light  verses  reminiscent  of  his  earlier  service  as  a  poet  of 
love,  and  intended  to  remind  the  reader  that  this  was  still  his  proper 
field.  In  these  verses  he  protests  that  at  fifty  his  days  of  love  are  over, 
and  that  Venus  should  spare  him.  Young  Paulus  Maximus,  the  noble, 
comely,  and  eloquent,  will  do  the  goddess  larger  service  and  pay  her 
greater  honor.  For  himself,  he  no  longer  finds  delight  in  maid  or  boy, 
in  hope  for  love  returned,  in  sport  with  wine  and  flowers.  And  yet, 
what  means  this  tear  ! 

The  unexpected  turn  at  v.  33  is  similar  to  that  in  3,  26,  11  f.  Paulus 
Maximus  is  introduced  by  Horace,  partly  to  compliment  his  young 
friend,  and  partly  to  secure  a  foil  for  himself  and  his  ten  lustra.  The 
ode  was  probably  written  but  a  short  time  before  the  publication  of 
the  book,  i.e.  about  14-13  b.c.     Metre,  71. 

Intermissa,  Venus,  diu 

rursus  bella  moves  }     Parce,  precor,  precor. 
Non  sum  qualis  eram  bonae 

sub  regno  Cinarae.     Desine,  dulcium 

if.  intermissa:  naturally  placed  reconde ;  5,  2,  53;  Mart.  7,  68.  2 

first,  referring  to  the  ten  years  in  parce  precor  socero. 
which  his  lyre  had  not  sung  of  4  f.    sub  regno :  sway ;  cf.  3,  9, 

love.  —  bella:    cf.    v.     16    below,  ^  me  nunc  T/iessa  Chloe  regit. — 

and  3,  26,  2  and  n.  — parce,  etc.  :  Cinarae:  apparently  the  only  one 

frequently  imitated  by  later  poets  :  among  all  of  Horace's  loves  who 

cf.  e.g.  Ovid  Trist.  2,  179  parce  had   a   real    existence.      Between 

precor  fiibiienque  tniiin,  fera  tela,  her  and  the  poet  there  seems  to 

331 


4,  I.  S] 


HORATI 


15 


mater  saeva  Cupidinum, 

circa  lustra  decern  flectere  mollibus 
iam  durum  imperils  ;  abi 

quo  blandae  iuvenum  te  revocant  preces. 
Tempestivius  in  domum 

Pauli  purpurels  ales  oloribus 
comissabere  Maxirai, 

si  torrere  iecur  quaeris  idoneum. 
Namque  et  nobilis  et  decens 

et  pro  sollicitis  non  tacitus  reis 
et  centum  puer  artium 

late  signa  feret  militiae  tuae, 
et  quandoque  potentior 


have  been  a  genuine  bond  of  affec- 
tion ;  the  reference  to  her  in  4, 
13,  22  ff.  shows  that  at  this  time 
she  was  dead.  —  dulcium  .  .  . 
saeva :  the  two  sides  to  love.  Cf. 
Catull.  68,  17  dea  .  .  .  guae  dul- 
cem  cur  is  miscet  amaritievi.  — 
mater:  an  echo  of  i,  19,  i  mater 
saeva  Cupidiniitn. 

6  ff.  circa  lustra  decern  :  sc.  me. 
The  lack  of  a  present  participle  in 
Latin  (Greek  ovra)  makes  the  ex- 
pression awkward.  Horace  was 
50  in  15  B.C. — flectere:  conative. 

—  imperils :  dative  with  durum, 
as  the  interlocked  order  and  the 
contrast  between  mollibus  and 
durum  show.  —  revocant :  call 
(with  greater  right)  ;  cf.  n.  on 
reponens  i,  9,  6. 

9.  tempestivius :  for  he  is 
young;  cf.    tempestroa  3,  19,  27. 

—  Pauli:  Paulus  Maximus,  cos. 
II  B.C.,  was  a  member  of  one  of 


the  noblest  Roman  families,  the 
friend  of  Ovid,  and  a  confidant  of 
Augustus.  He  was  about  twenty- 
two  years  Horace's  junior.  —  pur- 
purels :  the  rosy  hue  of  divinity ; 
cf.  3,  3,  12  and  n.  —  ales  :  winged 
by;  cf.  3,  28,  15.  —  comissabere: 
carry  thy  revelry.  —  torrere  :  cf. 
1,33,6  Lycorida  Cyri  torret  amor. 

—  iecur:   i,  13,  4. 

13  f.  et  .  .  .  et  .  .  .  et,  etc. : 
the  repetition  has  a  cumulative 
force;  cf.  nee  .  .  .  nee,  etc.  v. 
29  ff.  —  pro  sollicitis.  etc. :  cf.  simi- 
lar compliment  to  Pollio  2.  i,  13: 
Ovid  ex  Pont.  i.  2,  118  addressing 
this  same  Maximus,  {vox  tiia) 
aiixilio  trepidis  quae  solet  esse 
reis. 

16.  signa.  etc. :  cf  bella,  v.  2 
above.  On  the  order  of  words 
see  Intr.  21. 

17  ff.    quandoque  :     ivhenever. 

—  potentior  :     i.e.    through     the 


^l-^ 


CARMINA 


[4.  I.  32 


25 


30 


largi  muneribus  riserit  aemuli, 
Albanos  prope  te  lacus 

ponet  marmoream  sub  trabe  citrea. 
Illic  plurima  naribus 

duces  tura,  lyraeque  et  Berecyntiae 
delectabere  tibiae 

mixtis  carminibus  non  sine  fistula ; 
illic  bis  pueri  die 

numen  cum  teneris  virginibus  tuum 
laudantes  pede  candido 

in  morem  Salium  ter  quatient  humum. 
Me  nee  femina  nee  puer 

iam  nee  spes  animi  credula  mutui 
nee  certare  iuvat  mero 

nee  vincire  novis  tempora  floribus. 


favor  of  Venus.  —  muneribus:  ab- 
lative with  potentior,  although  it 
also  expresses  that  at  which  he 
laughs  in  scorn.  —  Albanos  prope 
lacus :  the  lacus  Albanus  and  lacus 
NetHorensis  in  the  Alban  Hills. 
Near  the  latter  was  the  famous 
shrine  of  Diana.  Probably  Horace 
had  no  definite  spot  in  mind  but 
simply  means,  'Paulus  will  build 
a  new  shrine  to  thee  near  (or  like) 
that  of  Diana  Nemorensis.' 

20.  marmoream :  in  marble.  — 
trabe :  collectively,  the  rafters.  — 
citrea :  of  A  frican  cedar ;  an  ex- 
pensive wood.  Cross  sections  of 
large  trunks  were  used  for  the 
tops  of  tables,  and  were  extremely 
costly. 

21  f.  plurima  :  abundant.  — 
Berecyntiae  :  cf.  i,  18, 13  ;  3. 19.  18. 


24.   non  sine  :  cf.  n.  to  i,  23,  3. 

25  ff.  bis :  i.e.  morning  and 
evening.  —  pueri  .  .  .  cum  teneris 
virginibus :  a  choral  band  similar 
to  that  for  which  1,21  was  written, 
and  which  sang  the  Carmen  Sae- 
culare.  See  introductory  notes  to 
I,  21  and  C.  S. ;  also  cf.  4,  6,  31  ff. 

28.  Salium:  cf.  i,  36,  12  and 
n.  —  ter  quatient:  cf.  3,  18,  16. 

29  ff.  me  :  returning  to  the  per- 
sonal experience-  —  nee  .  .  .  nee. 
etc. :  cf.  n.  to  v.  13.  —  animi  .  .  . 
mutui :  of  a  heart  that  returns 
my  love.     Cf.  3.  9,  13  face  mutua. 

—  credula:  observe  the  effect  of 
its  position,  although  it  is  not 
grammatically  connected  with  the 
inclosing  words.  Intr.  20.  — 
mero :   i.e.  in  a  drinking   contest. 

—  vincire :    in   preparation  for  a 


333 


4,  I.  33l  HORATI 

Sed  cur  heu,  Ligurine,  cur 

manat  rara  meas  lacrima  per  genas  ? 
35  Cur  facunda  parum  decoro 

inter  verba  cadit  lingua  silentio  ? 
Nocturnis  ego  somniis 

iam  captum  teneo,  iam  volucrem  sequor 
te  per  gramina  Martii 
40  campi,  te  per  aquas,  dure,  volubilis. 

comissatio.  —  novis :  of  the  spring,  27. —  decoro :  hypermetric.  Intr.  71. 

when  the  young  man  (but  not  the  With  the  signs  of  love,  cf.  Sappho, 

man  of  fifty  years)  hghtly  turns  to  Frg.  2,  7  ff.  ws  yap  tv&ov  ^poykii><i 

thoughts  of  love.  (re,  <^(ovas  |  ovScv  It    Aku-  \  dAAa 

33  ff.  sed:  the  unexpected  turn.  Ka/A  ykv  -yXwo-aa  laye.      Imitated 

—  cur  .  .  .  cur:  Intr.  28c.  —  Ligu-  by  Catullus  51,  6 if.  nam  siviul te, 
rine  :  the  same  name  occurs  again  Lesbia,  adspexi,  nihil  est  super  tni 
4,10,5.  We  need  not  suppose  that  .  .  .  lingiia  sed  torpet.  Also 
he  existed  outside  Horace's  fancy.  Epod.  11,  9. 

—  rara  :  a  single  tear,  which  he  un-  38  ff.  iam  .  .  .  iam  :  cf  7iunc 
expectedly  finds  on  his  cheek.  Cf  ...  m/nc  nhove. — aquas:  of  the 
\,\T„(i7imor  et  in  genas ftirtimlabi-  Tiber.  —  volubilis:  zi.  Epist.  1,2, 
tur.  —  facunda  lingua  :  i.e.  ordi-  43  at  ille  {atnnis')  labitur  et  labe- 
narily. — parum:  cf  n.  ioniiniis  1,2.  tttr  in  omne  volubilis  aevum. 


'Whoever  tries  a  flight  in  rivalry  with  Pindar,  will  surely  fall  like 
Icarus.  That  mighty  poet  pours  forth  his  verse  like  mountain  flood 
and  is  supreme  in  every  field  (1-24).  He  soars  aloft,  a  swan  of  Dirce. 
while  I  am  but  a  Matine  bee  that  gathers  sweets  with  toil  (25-32). 
But  thou,  Antonius.  art  a  poet,  and  canst  sing  in  fuller  strain  the  tri- 
umphs of  our  supreme  Caesar  and  hymn  his  glad  return.  Then  I  too 
will  add  my  voice  to  swell  the  greeting  (33-52)-  Thou  shalt  make 
large  thanksgiving  sacrifice  of  ten  bulls  and  heifers,  while  I  off"er  a 
young  calf,  as  fits  my  humble  station  (53-60).' 

This  ode  is  evidently  composed  in  anticipation  of  the  return  of 
Augustus  to  Rome  from  the  German  frontier,  to  which  he  went  in  16 
B.C.  after  the  defeat  of  M.  Lollius.  The  lullus  Antonius  addressed 
was  the  son  of  Mark  Antony  and  Fulvia.     He  was  educated  in  Augus- 

334 


CARMINA  [4,  2,  6 

tus'  household  by  his  stepmother,  Octavia  ;  every  honor  was  shown  him 
until  the  discovery  of  his  liaison  with  the  infamous  Julia,  when  he  was 
put  to  death  (2  B.C.)-  It  is  said  that  he  was  the  author  of  an  epic, 
Diomedea,  in  twelve  books,  and  of  some  prose  works  besides. 

The  occasion  and  date  of  the  ode  are  both  uncertain.  It  was  proba- 
bly written  in  the  winter  of  16-15  ^-^-  or  early  in  the  following  spring, 
with  the  expectation  that  the  Emperor  would  soon  return  ;  many,  how- 
ever, prefer  to  place  its  composition  in  14-13  B.C.  But  why  should 
Horace,  if  writing  at  that  date,  mention  only  Augustus'  comparatively 
unimportant  success  over  the  Sygambri  and  their  allies  in  16  B.C.,  and 
have  nothing  to  say  of  the  brilliant  Alpine  campaigns  of  Tiberius  and 
Drusus  in  15  B.C.?  The  fact  that  these  are  celebrated  in  odes  4 and  14 
will  hardly  account  for  silence  here,  if  the  later  date  of  composition 
be  accepted.  The  occasion  which  prompted  the  verses  may  have  been 
a  request  from  Antonius  for  a  Pindaric  ode,  which  Horace  turns  aside 
in  a  manner  similar  to  that  of  i,  6.  Or  we  may  suppose  that  Horace 
chose  this  way  to  express  his  own  eager  anticipation  of  Augustus.' 
return  and  to  pay  Antonius  a  (possibly)  extravagant  complirrvent. 
Whatever  its  date,  the  position  of  the  ode  gives  it  the  effect  of  a  depre- 
catory preface  to  odes  4  and  14.     Metre,  69. 

Pindarum  quisquis  studet  aemulari, 
lulle,  ceratis  ope  Daedalea 
nititur  pennis,  vitreo  daturus 
nomina  ponto. 

5  Monte  decurrens  velut  amnis,  imbres 

quern  super  notas  aluere  ripas, 

if.    Pindarum:   (522-448  B.C.)  tor  of  the   Julian   gens,  but  em- 

a  native  of  Thebes,  the  greatest  ployed  by  the  members  as  a  prae- 

of  the  nine  lyric  poets  of  Greece.  no»te)i.  — ceratis  :    wax-joined.  — 

His  odes  for  victory    ('ETrtvtKta)  ope  Daedalea  :  bytheartof  Daeda- 

became  the  model  for  such  poems.  his. 

Pindar    had    no    slight    influence  3  f .    nititur  :    soa^s.  —  vitreo : 

on   Horace. — aemulari:    to    vie-  glassy,  crystal.      Cf.  n.  to  3,  13, 

with.  —  luUe  :  dissyllabic  here,  but  i .  —  daturus  :  destined  to  give.    Cf. 

used  by   Vergil   as   a    trisyllable  2,  3,  27. 

and  spelled  with  a  single  /.It  5.  velut  amnis,  etc. :  a  corn- 
was  the  name  of  a  mythical  ances-  mon  comparison,  e.g.  Cic.   Acad. 

335 


4.  2,  7] 


HORATI 


»5 


fervet  immensusque  ruit  profundo 
Pindarus  ore, 

laurea  donandus  Apollinari, 
seu  per  audacis  nova  dithyrambos 
verba  devolvit  numerisque  fertur 
lege  solutis, 

seu  deos  regesve  canit,  deorum 
sanguinem,  per  quos  cecidere  iusta 
morte  Centauri,  cecidit  tremendae 
flamma  Chimaerae, 


2,  \\<)  fluvien  arationis  aiireian. 
Cf.  also  our  (uncomplimentary) 
•  flood  of  words.' 

7  f.  fervet,  etc. :  seethes  and 
rushes  along  in  boundless  flood. 
The  poet  is  confused  with  the 
river  to  which  he  is  compared. 
Cf.  1, 15,  29ff.  andn.  For  the  femi- 
nine caesura  here  and  elsewhere 
in  this  book,  see  Intr.  51. —  pro- 
fundo .  .  .  ore :  with  deep  and  mighty 
speech.  —  ore  :  with  reference  to 
Pindar  alone.  The  description 
refers  to  Pindar's  richness  of  lan- 
guage, his  'grand  style.'  So  Hor- 
ace says  S.  1,4,  43  f.  that  you  can 
give  the  name  poet  only  to  a  man, 
cui  mens  divinior  atque  os  magna 
sonaturtim. 

9  ff.  laurea  .  .  .  Apollinari: 
cf.  3,  30,  16.  —  donandus  :  forming 
the  conclusion  to  the  following 
conditions,  i.e.  '  Pindar  deserves 
to  be  crowned  with  the  sacred 
laurel  for  each  and  every  kind  of 
poetry  he  essayed.'  —  audacis :  i.e. 


in  compounds  and  metaphors.  — 
nova :  fresh  compounds.  — dithy- 
rambos :  choral  songs  in  honor  of 
Dionysus.  —  devolvit,  fertur :  keep- 
ing up  the  figure  of  the  torrent.  — 
lege  solutis :  i.e.  not  composed  in 
strict  symmetry,  with  strophe  and 
antistrophe  ;  or  Horace  may  mean 
nothing  more  than  '  free.'  The 
phrase  with  the  addition  of  a  word 
was  appHed  by  St.  Jerome  to 
rhythmical  prose,  Praef.  in  lob,  in- 
terdum  quoqne  rhyth/nus  ipse  ditl- 
cis  et  tintiuliis  fertur  numeris  lege 
metri  solutis.  The  common  ex- 
pression for  prose  is  soluta  oratio. 
13  ff.  seu  deos,  etc. :  in  his 
Hymns  and  Paeans.  —  reges : 
heroes,  as  deorum  sanguinem  shows. 
—  per  quos :  i.e.  Theseus  and  Piri- 
thous,  who  overcame  the  Centaurs 
(cf.  I,  18,  8),  and  Bellerophon, 
slayer  of  the  Chimaera.  —  iusta: 
deserved,  as  the  Centaurs  began 
the  quarrel  that  ended  in  their 
death.  —  flamma  Chimaerae :  with 


336 


CARMINA 


[4,  2,  28 


25 


sive  quos  Elea  domum  reducit 
palma  caelestis  pugilemve  equumve 
dicit  et  centum  potiore  signis 
munere  donat, 

flebili  sponsae  iuvenemve  raptum 
plorat  et  viris  animumque  moresque 
aureos  educit  in  astra  nigroque 
invidet  Oreo. 

Multa  Dircaeum  levat  aura  cycnum, 
tendit,  Antoni,  quotiens  in  altos 
nubium  tractus  :  ego  apis  Matinae 
more  modoque 


the  form  of  expression,  cf.  i,  3, 
36;  3,  21,  II. 

lyff.  His  extant  Olympian,  Pyth- 
ian, Nemean,  and  Istlimian  odes. 

—  Elea:  the  Olympian  games;  the 
most  important  of  the  four  being 
taken  as  typical  of  all .  —  caelestis  : 
cf.  I,  I,  5  and  Sil.  Ital.  15,  100  me 
cindus  laiiro  prodiicit  ad  astra  tri- 
uinphus. — pugilemve  equiunve:  in 
partitive  apposition  to  quos.  With 
this  passage,  cf.  Epist.  2,  3,  83 
tntisa  dedit  fidibiis  divos  puerosqiie 
deoriim  \  et  piigilem  vktore/n  et 
equutn  cet'tamine  primutn  |  .  .  • 
refer  re.  —  dicit :  cf.  n.  to  i,  6,  5. 

—  signis:  statues. 
21  ff.  His  lost  Eulogies,  ©p^vot. 

—  flebili :  active,  weeping.  Cf .  i , 
24,  9. — ve  :  for  the  position,  see 
Intr.  31.  —  viris  animumque,  etc. : 
telling  over  in  detail  the  youth's 
virtues.  This  and  the  following 
verse   are   hypermetric. — aureos: 

HOR.  CAR.  —  22  337 


cf.  n.  on  I,  5,  9.  —  invidet:  be- 
grudges (and  saves  from). 

25  ff.  After  reviewing  in  the 
last  three  strophes  the  various 
forms  of  Pindar's  poetry,  Horace 
now  returns  to  his  preeminence. 
—  multa  :  a  mighty.  —  Dircaeum : 
the  fountain  of  Dirce  was  near 
Thebes.  —  cycnimi  :  a  common 
comparison ;  cf.  2,  20  and  intro- 
ductory n.  —  tractus  :  stretches. 

27.  apis.  etc. :  also  a  stock 
figure  ;  cf.  Plat,  /oti  534  A.  Xiyovai 
yap  .   .    .  TT/aos    rjfJia<i    ot    TroLyjTau 

OTL     aiTO      Kpr)VWV       fJLeXlppVTWV      €/C 

WovaS)v  KrjTTUiv  Tivutv  Kox  vairwv 
SpETroficvoL  TO.  peXr]  Tjp.lv  cf>ipov(TLV 
uya-rrep  at  piXtTTat.  With  the 
comparison  which  Horace  makes 
between  himself  and  Pindar,  cf. 
Lucretius'  words  in  regard  to  his 
relation  to  Epicurus  3,  6  ff.  quid 
euim  contendat  hirundo  cycnisf 
.   .   .  tuisque  ex\  inclute,  chartis  \ 


4,  2,  29] 


HORATI 


3° 


35 


40 


grata  carpentis  thyma  per  laborem 
plurimum  circa  nemus  uvidique 
Tiburis  ripas  operosa  parvus 
carmina  fingo. 

Concines  maiore  poeta  plectro 
Caesarem,  quandoque  trahet  ferocis 
per  sacrum  clivum  merita  decorus 
fronde  Sygambros ; 

quo  nihil  maius  meliusve  terris 
fata  donavere  bonique  divi 
nee  dabunt,  quamvis  redeant  in  aurum 
tempora  priscum. 


/loriferis  ut  apes  in  saltibiis  oiiuiia 
libatit,  I  Of/i/iia  hps  itidevi  depas- 
cimur  aiirea  dicta. 

—  Matinae :  with  reference  to 
the  district  in  which  he  was  born. 
Cf.  I.  28,  3. 

30  f.    plurimum  :  with  laborem. 

—  circa  nemus,  etc. :  his  favorite 
Tivoli ;  cf.  2,  6,  5  ff.  —  Tiburis  : 
modifying  both  nemus  and  ripas. 

—  operosa  parvus  :  Intr.  26. 

33  f .  concines  :  with  Caesarem 
in  the  following  verse,  bearing  the 
emphasis.  '  Caesar  shall  be  sung, 
but  in  a  different  strain  than  that 
of  which  I  am  master.' — maiore 
.  .  .  plectro :  i.e.  '  of  a  grander 
style';  cf.  2,  i,  40  leviot-e  plec- 
tro. The  ablative  is  descriptive, 
modifying  poeta.  Augustus'  deeds 
were  better  themes  for  an  epic 
poet  like  Antonius  than  for  a  lyri- 
cist. —  quandoque :  '  whenever  the 
day  of  his  triumph  shall  come."  — 


ferocis :  a  decorative  epithet  (yet 
cf.  4,  14,  51  caede gaudentes)  which 
secures  a  contrast  with  trahet. 

35  f .  per  sacrum  clivimi :  the 
Sacra  Via  from  the  arch  of  Titus 
down  to  the  Forum.  The  ex- 
pression is  found  elsewhere  only 
twice,  Mart,  i,  70,  5  ;  4,  78,  7.  — 
decorus  :  adorned  with.  —  fronde  : 
the  laurel  wreath  of  the  triumph- 
ing general.  —  Sygambros  :  they 
defeated  Lollius'  army  (cf.  intro- 
ductory n.),  but  withdrew  before 
the  Emperor's  approach  and  has- 
tened to  make  peace  with  him. 

37  ff.  These  verses  show  the 
court  poet.  A  similar  expression 
is  found  in  Epist.  2,  i,  i6f.  iuran- 
dasqnc  titom  per  niiinen  pouitnns 
aras,  \  nil  oritur ii/n  alias,  nil 
ortnm  tale  fatentes.  —  quamvis, 
etc.  :  '  though  the  Golden  Age 
should  return.'  —  priscum  :  cf. 
Epod.  2.  2. 


338 


CARMIiXA 


[4.  2,  54 


Concines  laetosque  dies  et  urbis 
publicum  ludum  super  impetrato 
fortis  Augusti  reditu  forumque 
litibus  orbum. 

45  Turn  meae,  si  quid  loquar  audiendum, 

vocis  accedet  bona  pars,  et  '  O  sol 
pulcher,  o  laudande  ! '  canam,  recepto 
Caesare  felix. 

Teque  dum  procedis,  '  lo  Triumphe ! ' 
50  non  semel  dicemus  *  lo  Triumphe  ! ' 

civitas  omnis,  dabimusque  divis 
tura  benignis. 

Te  decem  tauri  totidemque  vaccae, 
me  tener  solvet  vitulus,  relicta 


41  f.  concines  :  Intr.  28  c  — 
laetos :  i.e.  fesios,  when  Augustus 
returns.  -•-  ludum  :  joy  ;  cf.  Epist. 

2,  3,  226  it  a  vert  ere  seria  ludo.  — 
super :   with  the  construction,  cf. 

3,  8,  17  super  urbe  curas.  —  impe- 
trato :  granted  (to  our  prayers) . 
There  are  extant  coins  of  16  B.C. 
with  the  inscription  s.  p.  Q.  r. 
\{ptd)    s{uscepta)    pro    s(alute) 

ET  RKT)(itu)  AVG(!iSti). 

44.  litibus  orbum :  the  courts 
would  be  closed  when  the  Emperor 
returned  in  triumph.  The  techni- 
cal term  is  iiistitiiiin.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  when  Augustus  did 
return  in  13  B.C.,  he  declined  a 
triumph  and  entered  the  city  by 
night  to  avoid  any  public  demon- 
stration. 

45  ff-    'I  too  will  swell  the  ac- 


claim with  the  best  of  my  weak 
powers.'  —  loquar:  less  common 
than  dico  for  the  poet's  work ;  re- 
peated 4,  15,  I  Phoebus  volenteir, 
proelia  me  loqui  .  .  .  increpuit. 
audiendum :  worth  hearing.  —  sol 
pulcher :  the  very  day  of  Augus- 
tus' return  will  be  glorified  by  his 
presence.  —  laudande  :  the  future 
passive  participle  is  very  frequently 
used  in  the  fourth  book.  In  this 
ode  it  occurs  vv.  9,  45,  47.  Also 
4,68;  9,4.  21  :   II.  3.  14.  34:   14. 

17- 

49  ff.  teque :  personifying  the 
Triumph  itself;  object  of  dicemus. 
—  lo  Triumphe:  the  cry  of  greet- 
ing to  the  triumphal  procession  as 
it  moved  along.  Cf.  n.  to  Epod. 
9,  21  f.  —  non  semel:  not  once 
alone.,  but  many  times.  —  civitas  : 


339 


4.  2,  55] 


HORATI 


55 


6o 


matre  qui  largis  iuvenescit  herbis 
in  mea  vota, 

fronte  curvatos  imitatus  ignis 
tertium  lunae  referentis  ortum, 
qua  notam  duxit  niveus  videri, 
cetera  fulvus. 


in  opposition  to  the  subject  of 
dicetnus.     Cf.  i,  35,  35  nos,  aetas. 

53  f.  te  .  .  .  me  :  cf.  2, 17, 30  if. 
This  te,  referring  to  Antonius,  is 
awkward  after  te  in  v.  49. — solvet : 
from  the  obligation  of  our  vows. 

55  ff.  The  detailed  description 
of  the  young  bullock  furnishes  the 
ode  with  a  quiet  idyllic  ending 
similar  to  that  in  3,  5,  53-56.  At 
the  same  time  it  emphasizes  the 
contrast  between  the  wealthy  An- 
tonius, who  must  sacrifice  twenty 
head  of  cattle  oif  hand,  and  the 
simple  Horace  who  loves  to  linger 
on  the  charms  of  his  single  victim. 


—  relicta  matre  :  weaned.  —  lar- 
gis :  luxuriant.  —  in:  against,  in 
anticipation  of. 

57  ff.  curvatos:  the  crescent. 
With  the  description,  cf.  Claud. 
Rapt.  Pros.  1,  129  nee  nova 
lunatae  curvavit  germina  front  is. 
Moschus  2,  88  describes  the  horns 
of  Europa's  bull  as  curved  are 
KVKXa  (TeXr/vrfi.  —  referentis  :  cf.  3, 
29,  20.  —  qua :  referring  to  fronte 
and  defining  niveus  videri.  (Cf. 
AevKos  iSiaOai.)  Intr.  109.  —  duxit ; 
/ias  got,  taken  on.  Cf. ,  Verg.  E. 
9,  49  (astrum)  quo  duceret  apricis 
in  collibus  uva  colorem. 


The  poet's  grateful  acknowledgment  to  his  Muse. 

'  He  on  whom  thou  dost  look  with  kindly  eye  in  his  natal  hour,  Mel- 
pomene, is  set  apart  from  the  pursuit  of  common  glories.  He  shall 
not  win  renown  as  athlete  or  as  general .  But  the  quiet  groves  and  streams 
shall  be  his  haunts  and  he  shall  gain  his  fame  through  poesy  (1-12). 
So  through  thy  gift  am  I  counted  to-day  a  lyric  bard  and  Envy's  tooth 
is  dulled.  AH  my  fame,  my  inspiration,  and  my  power  to  please  are 
thine,  sweet  Muse  (13-24).' 

The  pubHcation  of  his  three  books  of  odes  in  23  B.C.  had  established 
Horace's  name  as  a  lyric  poet,  and  his  appointment  in  17  B.C.  to  write 
the  Carmen  Saeculare  had  officially  fixed  his  position.  The  petty 
critics  who  had  carped  at  him  in  earlier  years  and  the  noble  poetasters 
who  had  shown  a  snobbish  envy  of  his  skill  were  now  silenced ;  the 

340 


CARMINA  [4,  3,  10 

Romans  gladly  gave  him  the  recognition  he  deserved.  He  had  indeed 
obtained  the  object  of  his  ambitions  expressed  in  C  i,  i .  In  the  present 
ode  he  shows  his  gratitude  to  the  Muse  for  his  success  ;  and  this  feeling 
is  expressed,  not  in  boasting,  but  with  a  humility  which  shows  that 
Horace  felt  his  skill  to  be  due  to  some  power  beyond  himself.  The  ode 
has  evident  reminiscences  of  i,  i  in  the  contrast  between  the  aims  of 
ordinary  men  and  the  quiet  life  of  the  poet.     Metre,  71. 

Quern  tu,  Melpomene,  semel 

nascentem  placido  lumine  videris, 
ilium  non  labor  Isthmius 

clarabit  pugilem,  non  equus  impiger 
5  curru  ducet  Achaico 

victorem,  neque  res  bellica  Deliis 
ornatum  foliis  ducem, 

quod  regum  tumidas  contuderit  minas, 
ostendet  Capitolio ; 
10  sed  quae  Tibur  aquae  fertile  praefluunt 

I  ff .  The  same  idea  is  expressed  foliis :  the  laurel,  a  crown  of  which 

in  Greek  poetry,   e.g.  by    Hesiod  was  worn  by  the  triumphing  gen- 

Theog.  81  ff.  ovrtva  Ti/xr^o-wat  Aios  eral.     Cf.  3,30.  15  Delphica  lauro, 

Kovpai    jjLtyaXoLo    \    yttvofxtvov   re  4,  2,  9  lanrea  Apollmari. 
iSoMTt  StoTpec^etov  ^amXTjMv,  |  tw  8  f .   tumidas  :    contrasted  with 

fi€v  €7ri  yXuxrarj  yXvKeprjv  )(eiov(Tiv  contuderit,    crushed    down.     The 

ieparjv  {de%u),Tov  8'  Ittc'  Ik  aTOfJua.-  adjective  was  adopted  by  Seneca, 

Tos  pet  /ActAixa.  //.  O.  927  depone  tumidas  pectoris 

—  Melpomene:  cf.  3,30,  16. —  laesi  minas. — minas:    cf.    2,    12, 

^tmitX:  but  once. — placido  lumine:  12  regum  mitiacium.  —  Capitolio: 

cf.  Alciphr.    3,    44    €vixev€(TT€poL<i  the  end  of  the  triumphal  proces- 

ofxpnaLv  CKeTvov  cTSov  ol  ^dpires-  sion. 

3  ff.    labor :    the   Greek   ttovos.  10  f .    Horace  uses  the  streams 

—  Isthmius:  cf.  4,  2,  17  and  n. —  and  groves  of  his  beloved  Tivoli 

pugilem,  equus :  the  same  types  4,  as   typical   of  the  haunts   of  the 

2,  18.  —  Achaico  :  i.e.  Greek ;  con-  Muses  and  their  devotees  ;  he  also 

trasted   with  the  Roman  triumph  secures  through  their  associations 

which  follows. — res  hellica.:  deeds  with    himself    an    easy   transition 

in  war.    Cf.  res  ludicra,^  comedy,^  to    his    own    case.  —  quae   Tibur 

Epist.    2.    I,    180.  —  Deliis  .   .  .  aquae,  etc. :  cf.  1,7,  12  ff. — prae- 

341 


4.3.  n] 


HORAll 


IS 


et  spissae  nemorum  comae 

fingent  Aeolio  carmine  nobilem. 
Romae,  principis  urbium, 

dignatur  suboles  inter  amabilis 
vatum  ponere  me  chores, 

et  iam  dente  minus  mordeor  invido. 
O  testudinis  aureae 

dulcem  quae  strepitum,  Fieri,  temperas, 
o  mutis  quoque  piscibus 

donatura  cycni,  si  libeat,  sonum, 
totum  muneris  hoc  tui  est, 

quod  monstror  digito  praetereuntium 


fluunt :  flow  past,  a  variant  of  the 
more  common  praeterflimnt.  — 
spissae  .  .  .  comae:  cf.  i,  21,  5, 
and  the  verse  from  Milton  there 
quoted. 

12.  Aeolio  carmine :  cf.  3,  30, 
13  and  n.  The  adjective  also 
serves  to  aid  the  transition,  as 
Horace's  chief  models  were  Alca- 
eus  and  Sappho. 

13  ff.  Romae,  principis,  etc. : 
Horace's  pride  in  Rome,  queen  of 
cities  (cf.  Epist.  i,  7,  44  regia 
Roma),  adds  to  his  satisfaction  in 
the  recognition  he  receives  from 
her  children  (suboles) .  —  vatum : 
cf.  n.  to  I,  1,35. — ponere:  i.  i. 
35  inserere. 

16.  dente  .  .  .  invido :  cf.  Epod. 
6.  1 5  ;  Ovid  ex  Pout.  3,  4,  73  f. 
/aedere  vivos  livor  et  iniusto  car- 
pere  dente  \  solet. 

17  f.  testudinis  aureae :  Pindar's 
Xpvaia  (jiop/uy^,  P.  I .  I .  Cf.  C. 
2,    1 3,   26  aureo  .  .  .  plectro.  — 


dulcem  .  .  .  strepitimi:  cf.  Mil- 
ton's '  melodious  noise.'  —  tem- 
peras :  modulate. 

19  f.  mutis:  a  stock  epithet; 
the  Hesiodic  IAAottu?  lyOv^  Scut. 
Her.  212.  —  donatura:  thou  who 
couldst  give.  —  cycni :  but  cycni 
4,  2,  25. 

21.  muneris  :  predicate.  Cf. 
Ovid  Trist.  i,  6,  6  (to  his  wife)  si 
si  quid  adhjic  ego  sum,  muneris 
omne  tui  est. —  quod  monstror  :  de- 
fining the  preceding.  This  form 
of  complimentary  recognition  is 
frequently  mentioned.  Cf.  4,  9 : 
Lucian  Herod.  1  et  ttov  yc  cf>aveLri 
IJLOvov,  iSeiKvvTO  av  tw  SoktvAo). 
ovTO<;  eKtivos  'HpoSords  toriv  .  .  • 
6  Tcis  vtKtts  rffjMv  vfj-vr/aai;.  St. 
Jerome,  ad  Eustoch.  22,  urged  ne 
ad  te  obviafn  praetereuntium  turba 
consistat  et  digito  monstreris. 
Stevenson  wrote  after  a  visit  to 
Sidney  (Vailima  Letters,  XXVIII. 
April,    1893),   'I    found  my  fame 


342 


CARMINA  [4,  4 

Romanae  fidicen  lyrae ; 
quod  spiro  et  placeo,  si  placeo,  tuum  est. 

much  grown    on   this    return    to  23  f.      fidicen  :     cf.    Horace's 

civilization.     Digito  monstrari  is  claim,   Epist.   i,  19,  32  hunc  (Al- 

a  new  experience ;  people  all  looked  caeimi)  ego  Latinus  volgavi fidicen. 

at  me  in  the  streets  of  Sydney  ;  —  quod  spiro  et  placeo :  my  inspi- 

and  it  was  very  queer.'  ration  and  my  power  to  please. 


'  Like  a  young  eagle  swooping  on  his  prey  or  a  lion  just  weaned  tear- 
ing its  first  victim,  so  the  Vindelici  saw  the  young  Drusus  fight  under 
the  shadow  of  the  Raetian  Alps.  Now  through  defeat  they  have  come 
to  feel  what  the  noble  young  Neros,  piously  reared  beneath  Augustus' 
roof,  can  do  (1-28).  Brave  and  noble  are  those  who  spring  from  noble 
sires.     Training  is  powerless  when  character  fails  (29-36).     Thy  debt, 

0  Rome,  to  Nero's  line  is  witnessed  by  the  Metaurus,  the  defeat  of 
Hasdrubal.  and  that  glorious  day  when  the  fearful  leader  was  forced  by 
the  renewed  strength  of  Rome  to  say  ••  We  are  but  deer.  This  people, 
tossed  to  this  land  from  Troy  destroyed  by  fire,  gains  strength  through 
loss,  grows  Hydra-like  more  strong.     No  more  proud  messages  shall 

1  send  to  Carthage.  All  hope  was  lost  when  Hasdrubal  was  killed 
(37-72)."  Such  noble  deeds  have  the  Claudii  done  :  no  bound  is  there 
to  what  they  yet  shall  do,  with  the  aid  of  Jove's  favor  and  man's  wise 
counsel  (73-76).' 

This  and  the  fourteenth  ode  celebrate  the  victories  in  15  B.C.  of 
the  young  Neros,  Drusus  and  Tiberius,  stepsons  of  Augustus.  In  the 
spring  of  that  year  Drusus,  then  but  twenty-three  years  old,  led  his 
troops  up  the  river  Atagis  (Adige)  and  defeated  the  Vindelician  forces 
not  far  from  Tridentum  (Trent).  He  then  pushed  northward  across 
the  Brenner  pass  and  defeated  the  Breuni  and  Genauni  in  the  valley  of 
the  river  Inn.  Tiberius  approached  from  the  west  by  the  upper 
Rhine  and  Lake  Constance,  and  the  armies  under  the  two  brothers 
scoured  the  valleys  in  which  the  Rhine  and  Inn  have  their  sources  so 
successfially  that  in  a  single  campaign  the  district  of  the  Grisons  and 
Tirol  was  completely  subjugated  and  made  into  the  province  Raetia. 

The  occasion  of  this  and  the  fourteenth  ode,  as  Suetonius  tells  us 
(vita  Nor.),  was  the  'command'  of  Augustus  —  script  a  guidon  eiiis 
usque  adeo  probavit  mansuraque  perpetiia  opinatus  est,  ut  non  modo 
^fciilare  carmen  componendum  iiiiitxerit  sed  et   Vindelicam  victoriain 

343 


4,  4.  I]  HORATI 

Tiberii  Drusique,  privignorum  suorum.  It  was  a  task  for  which  Horace 
had  often  declared  himself  unfit,  but  he  could  hardly  disregard  the 
Emperor's  command,  even  had  he  been  so  inclined.  In  spite  of  his 
protestations  in  the  second  ode  of  this  book,  he  adopted  here  the  Pin- 
daric form  which  allowed  him  to  pass  over  the  exploits  of  Drusus  very 
briefly  and  to  devote  the  greater  part  of  the  ode  to  the  deeds  of  the 
house  of  Nero  in  the  almost  mythical  past.     Metre,  68. 

Qualem  ministrum  fulminis  alitem, 
cui  rex  deorum  regnum  in  avis  vagas 
permisit  expertus  fidelem 
luppiter  in  Ganymede  flavo, 

S  olim  iiiventas  et  patrius  vigor 

nido  laborum  propulit  insciuni, 
vernique  iam  nimbis  remotis 
insolitos  docuere  nisus 

venti  paventem,  mox  in  ovilia 
10  demisit  hostem  vividus  impetus, 

i-i6.    The   young  eagle   illus-  5  ff.    olim:    once.      The  refer- 

trates  the  impetuosity  with  which  ence  to  the  eagle  which  carried  off 

Drusus    attacked     his     foes,    the  Ganymedes  is  confined  to  the  first 

young  lion  the  terror  his  attack  strophe  ;  that  which  follows  is  said 

aroused.  of  the   bird   in   general.  —  nido: 

iff.    ministrum:  in  opposition  with  propulit. — Xd^o^xwca.:  of  strife 

with   alitem,  which    is   object   of  and  toil. — propulit:  gnomic  perfect, 

permisit.    We  may  translate,  how-  Intr.  103.     The  object  of  this,  as 

ever,  the  winged  messenger .     Cf  of  the  following  verbs,   is   easily 

Verg.  A.  5,  255  /ovis  artniger. —  brought  over  from  v.  i.  —  verni: 

rex,  regnum:   intentional  antithe-  /.<?.* gentle.'     The  fact  that  young 

sis.     The  concept  of  the  eagle  as  eagles  do  not  fly  until  late  summer 

king  of  birds,  oiwvoiv  ^aoriXeus,  is  need  not  disturb  us.  —  iam  :  with 

Pindaric.  —  in :  cf.  3,    i,  5.  —  ex-  docuere. 

pertus  fidelem  :  having  proved  him  9  ff.   paventem :  in  his  timidity, 

faithful  in  the  case  of. — Gany-  — mox:    presently;   marking  the 

mede  :    cf.    3,    20,    15  f.  ^ —  flavo  :  second  stage  in  the  eaglet's  devel- 

fair-haired,   ^avdo's,  a  decorative  opment  —  first   he   timidly  learns 

epithet.     Cf.  i,  5,  4.  to  fly,  presently  he  swoops  on  his 

344 


CARMINA 


[4,  4,  20 


IS 


nunc  in  reluctantis  dracones 
egit  amor  dapis  atque  pugnae  ; 

qualemve  laetis  caprea  pascuis 
intenta  fulvae  matris  ab  ubere 
iam  lacte  depulsum  leonem 
dente  novo  peritura  vidit : 

videre  Raetis  bella  sub  Alpibus 
Drusum  gerentem  Vindelici  (quibus 
mos  unde  deductus  per  omne 
tempus  Amazonia  securi 


prey,  and  at  last  engages  in  battle 
with  snakes  (dracones)  that  fight 
back.  Horace  may  have  had  in 
mind  the  description  of  the  struggle 
between  the  eagle  and  snake,  //. 
12.  200  fF.  imitated  by  Verg.  A. 
11,751  ff. 

13  ff.  laetis  :  luxuriant.  —  ma- 
tris ab  ubere :  editors  are  not 
agreed  whether  these  words  refer 
to  caprea  or  leonem.  It  is  proba- 
ble that  the  second  alternative  is 
right,  and  that  lacte  depulsimi  is 
to  be  considered  as  expressing  a 
single  idea,  •weaned.  Vergil  has 
G.  3,  187  depiilsus  ab  ubere  and 
E.  7,  15  depulsos  a  lacte  .  .  . 
agnos.  Horace's  expression  is 
then  tautological  but  not  un- 
natural. We  may  render,  lately 
weaned  frofn  his  tawny  viother^s 
dugs. 

16.  peritura  vidit:  notice  the 
force  of  the  juxtaposition  —  the 
fawn  sees  the  lion  and  recognizes 
>t«  own  fate  at  the  same  moment. 


17  f.  videre :  the  anadiplosis 
makes  tale?n  unnecessary.  Intr. 
28  b.  —  Raetis  :  equivalent  to  Rae- 
ticis.  — quibus  :  the  relative ;  trans- 
late, their.  The  indirect  question 
is  introduced  by  unde.  The  refer- 
ence here  to  an  archceological 
discussion  is  most  inopportune, 
and  some  have  wished  to  regard 
the  verses  as  the  invention  of  a 
later  writer.  It  is  more  probable 
that  Horace's  usual  good  taste 
deserted  him.  The  passage  may 
be  an  attempt  to  imitate  a  Pin- 
daric digression.  In  any  case  we 
must  remember  that  the  ode  was 
made  to  order,  and  that  such  a 
task  was  not  inspiring  to  Horace's 
muse. 

19  f.  deductus :  the  participle, 
as  frequently,  contains  the  main 
idea.  —  per  omne  tempus  :  i.e. 
from  the  mythological  period  to 
the  present  time.  —  Amazonia 
securi:  see  Baumeister  i,  pp.  60, 
63   for   illustrations  of  this   form 


345 


4.  4.  21] 


HORATI 


25 


30 


dextras  obarmet,  quaerere  distuli, 
nee  seire  fas  est  omnia),  sed  diu 
lateque  victrices  catervae 
eonsiliis  iuvenis  revictae 

sensere  quid  mens  rite,  quid  indoles 
nutrita  faustis  sub  penetralibus 
posset,  quid  Augusti  paternus 
in  pueros  animus  Nerones. 

Fortes  creantur  fortibus  et  bonis ; 
est  in  iuvencis,  est  in  equis  patrum 
virtus,  neque  imbellem  feroces 
progenerant  aquilae  columbam : 


of  axe.  —  obarmet  :  coined  by 
Horace. 

22  f .  nee  scire  fas,  etc. :  said  al- 
most with  impatience.  —  '  don't 
ask  me  how  this  custom  has  been 
handed  down.  Man  should  not 
try  to  know  everything." — diu 
lateque:  modifying  victrices.  The 
reference  is  to  the  successes  of 
the  Vindelici  before  they  were 
checked  by  Drusus. 

24.  eonsiliis:  wise  strategy. — 
revictae  :  defeated  in  their  turn . 

25  f .  rite  .  .  .  nutrita :  with  both 
mens  and  indoles,  intelligence  and 
character. — faustis  .  .  .  penetrali- 
bus :  the  phrase  is  chosen,  like  rite 
above,  to  suggest  the  sacred  char- 
acter of  the  training  the  young 
princes  received  in  the  Emperor's 
house.  So  Velleius  2,  94,  i  says 
of  the  training  of  Tiberius  under 
.-lugustus,  innntritus  caelestiuni 
praeceptorum  disciplinis. 


28.  Nerones  :  Tiberius  and 
Drusus  —  the  latter  was  born  after 
his  mother  was  divorced  from  Ti. 
Claudius  Nero  and  married  to  Oc 
tavianus  —  were  both  treated  L 
their  stepfather  as  his  own  sons 
(cf.  paternus  animus) . 

29  £f.  fortes,  etc. :  good  birth 
is  the  first  essential.  The  senti- 
ment of  the  verse  is  a  common- 
place. Cf.  e.g.  Eurip.  Frg.  75,  2 
iaoXwv  dn  dvBpwv  iadXa  yt'yvecrOai 
TCKva,  KaKwv  8  ofiom  Trj  (f>v(T€i  Trj 
Tov  ■jTarpo'i.  —  fortibus  et  bonis  :  a 
frequent  commendatory  expres- 
sion. Cf.  Epist.  I,  9,  13  scribe 
tui  gregis  hicnc  et  fortem  crede 
bonuinque.  —  est  .  .  .  est  :  em 
phatic,  no  doubt  there  is.  At  th> 
same  time  the  sentence  is  logically 
concessive  with  reference  to  the 
following  strophe.  —  imbellem  fe- 
roces :  juxtaposed  as  i.  6,  9  tenues 
grandia.     Intr.  26. 


346 


CARMINA 


[4,  4.  42 


35 


40 


doctrina  sed  vim  promovet  insitam, 
rectique  cultus  pectora  roborant ; 
utcumque  defecere  mores, 
indecorant  bene  nata  culpae. 

Quid  debeas,  o  Roma,  Neronibus, 
testis  Metaurum  flumen  et  Hasdrubal 
devictus  et  pulcher  fugatis 
ille  dies  Latio  tenebris, 

qui  primus  alma  risit  adorea, 
dirus  per  urbis  Afer  ut  Italas 


33  ff .  '  Yet  correct  training  is 
essential.'  Notice  the  emphasis 
on  doctrina,  recti  cultus,  indeco- 
rant. —  sed  :  atid  yet.  —  cultus  : 
nurture.  With  the  sentiment  of 
the  two  verses  cf.  Epist.  2,  3, 
408  ff. ;  Cic.  pro  Arch.  15  idem 
ego  contendo,  cum  ad  natiiram 
exiviiam  atque  inhistrem  acces- 
serit  ratio  quaedam  confonitati- 
oque  doctrinae,  turn  illud  nescio 
quid  praeclarum  ac  singulare 
solere  exsistere.  Quint.  Inst.  12, 
2,  I  virtus  etiamsi  quosdain  im- 
petus ex  natura  sumit,  tainen 
perficienda  doctrina  est. 

35  f .  utcumque :  as  soon  as. 
Cf.  I,  17,  10.  —  defecere:  definite 
perfect.  —  bene  nata  :  the  general- 
izing plural ;  translate,  that  which 
is  naturally  ^ood. 

37  ff.  The  chief  theme  of  the 
ode  —  -tiie  glorious  ancestry  of 
Drusus."  In  207  B.C.  Hannibal 
was  waiting  at  Canusium  in  Apulia 
for  the  arrival  of  his  brother  Has- 
drubal with  a  large  armv.     Has- 


drubal had  already  crossed  the 
Alps  when  the  consul  M.  Claudius 
Nero,  who  was  watching  Hanni- 
bal, took  7000  picked  men  and 
without  the  enemy's  knowledge 
marched  rapidly  to  the  north  to 
reenforce  his  colleague,  M.  Livius. 
from  whom  also  Drusus  was  de- 
scended by  his  mother's  side. 
The  two  consuls  defeated  the 
enemy  at  the  river  Metaurus,  and 
Claudius  Nero  returned  quickly 
south,  bringing  Hasdrubal's  head 
as  a  grim  messenger  to  Hannibal 
of  his  brother's  defeat.  The  story 
is  told  by  Livy  27,  43  ff.  —  Has- 
drubal devictus  :  the  victory  over, 
etc.  ;  cf.  mos  deductus  v.  ig 
above.  —  pulcher:  cf.  n.  to  sol 
pulcher  4,  2,  47.  —  Latio  :  abl. 
with  fugatis. 

41  ff.  adorea  :*  victory,  appar- 
ently an  archaic  word  which  Hor- 
ace called  back  into  use.  —  dirus 
.  .  .  Afer :  cf.  3,  6.  36  Hanniba- 
lem  diruin.  — ut :  temporal,  since. 
Cf.  Epod.  7,  19.  —  ceu:  only  here 


347 


4.  4,  43] 


HORATI 


ceu  flamma  per  taedas  vel  Eurus 
per  Siculas  equitavit  undas. 

45  Post  hoc  secundis  usque  laboribus 

Romana  pubes  crevit,  et  impio 
vastata  Poenorum  tumultu 
fana  deos  habuere  rectos, 

dixitque  tandem  perfidus  Hannibal : 
50  'Cervi,  luporum  praeda  rapacium, 

sectamur  ultro  quos  opimus 

fallere  et  effugere  est  triumphus. 

Gens  quae  cremato  fortis  ab  Ilio 
iactata  Tuscis  aequoribus  sacra 


in  Horace.  —  Eurus  per  Siculas, 
etc. :  cf.  Eurip.  Phoen.  209  flf. 
TrepippvTwv  I  vTrep  OLKapTrtaTiov  ttc- 
8tW  I  2iKeAias  Z€(f)vpov  Trvoais  | 
tTTTTCwavros  €v  ovpavw.  '  On  the 
blasts  of  Zephyrus  as  he  drives  in 
the  sky  over  the  barren  (sea-) 
plains  that  encompass  Sicily.' 

44.  equitavit :  this  verb  does 
double  duty  for  Afer  and  for 
flamma,  Eurus. 

45  ff.  post  hoc :  i.e.  after  Has- 
drubaPs  defeat.  —  usque  :  ever, 
constantly;  cf.  3,  30,  7. — crevit: 
grew  strong;   cf.    Eurip.   Suppl. 

323    (o^    TTttT/Ots)    ev    .     .    .    TOIS    TTO- 

voiaw  av^erai.  —  tumultu  :  rout. 
The  word  properly  denotes  war 
within  or  on  the  Roman  borders, 
and  it  is  here  disparagingly  ap- 
plied to  Hannibal's  campaign. 

48.  rectos:  7ipr/g/it  (again). 

49.  perfidus :  a  stock  Roman 
epithet  for  the  Carthaginians.     Cf. 


Livy  21,  4,  9  (describing  Hanni- 
bal) inhumana  crudelitas,  perfidia 
pins  quam  Punka,  nihil  veri,  nihil 
sancti,  nullus  deuju  metus,  tudlum 
ius  iurandum,  nulla  religio. 

49  ff.  Livy,  27,  51,  12  gives  a 
similar  account  of  Hannibal's  de- 
jection, Han?iibal  .  .  .  agnoscere 
se  forttinam  Carthaginis  fertur 
dixisse.  —  cervi :  mere  hinds,  em- 
phatic. —  praeda  :  the  {natural) 
prey.  —  ultro :  beyond  what  is 
usual,  actually.  —  opimus  .  .  . 
triumphus :  calling  to  mind  the 
spolia  opima.  —  effugere  est  tri- 
umphus :  note  the  slight  oxymo- 
ron. 

53  ff.  gens  quae,  etc.  :  the 
Aeneid  had  been  published  two 
years  when  this  was  written.  Cf. 
n.  to  C.  S.  41  ff. — fortis:  still 
brave,  in  contrast  to  cremato, 
which  pictures  the  complete  de- 
struction  of  the   city.  —  iactata : 


348 


^mk 


CARMINA 


[4.  4,  65 


SS 


60 


6S 


natosque  maturosque  patres 
pertulit  Ausonias  ad  urbis, 

duris  ut  ilex  tonsa  bipennibus 
nigrae  feraci  frondis  in  Algido, 
per  damna,  per  caedis,  ab  ipso 
ducit  opes  animumque  ferro, 

Non  hydra  secto  corpore  firmior 
vinci  dolentem  crevit  in  Herculem, 
monstrumve  submisere  Colchi 
mains  Echioniaeve  Thebae. 

Merses  profundo,  pulchrior  evenit ; 


with  gens;  cf.  Verg.  A.  i,  3  (of 
Aeneas)  multiun  tile  et  terris  iac- 
tatus  et  alto.  —  Tuscis  aequoribus, 
etc. :  cf.  Juno's  speech,  Verg.  A. 
1 ,  67  f.  gens  inimica  inihi  Tyrrhe- 
num  navigat  aeqiior  \  Iliutn  in 
Italiam  portans  victosqtie  Penatis. 

58.  nigrae:  cf.  i,  21,  7. — Al- 
gido: cf.  n.  to  I,  21,  6. 

61  f .  non  :  with  firmior.  —  hy- 
dra: the  simile  is  attributed  by 
Plutarch  to  Cineas,  Pyrrhus'  ad- 
viser. But  cf.  Florus  Epit.  1,18, 
19  cum  Pyrrhus  '  video  me '  inqiiit 
^  plane  procreatum  Her  cutis  se- 
mine,  cui  quasi  ab  angne  Lernaeo 
tot  caesa  hostium  capita  quasi 
de  sanguine  suo  renascuntur .^  — 
vinci:  Intr.  108. 

63.  monstrumve :  the  negative 
non  continues,  modifying  maius. 
The  allusion  in  monstrum,  marvel, 
is  to  the  troops  of  armed  men 
that  sprang  up  from  the  dragon 
teeth  sown  by  Jason   in   Colchis 


and  by  Cadmus  at  Thebes.  —  sub- 
misere :  cf.  Lucret.  i .  7  daedala 
tellus  submitt it  flares. 

64.  Echioniae  :  Echion  was  one 
of  the  five  survivors  of  the  struggle 
among  the  warriors  sprung  from 
the  Theban  dragon's  teeth ;  by 
marriage  with  Agave,  Cadmus' 
daughter,  he  became  an  ancestor 
of  the  Theban  royal  line. 

65  ff .  merses,  luctere  :  you  may, 
etc.,  sc.  earn  {genteni).  The  sub- 
junctive is  jussive,  but  the  two 
verbs  are  virtually  protases  to 
evenit,  proruet,  geretque.  These 
verses  were  paraphrased  four  cen- 
turies and  a  quarter  later  by  Ruti- 
lius  Namatianus  i,  128  ff.  flevit 
sticcessus  Annibal  ipse  suos:  \  quae 
tiiergi  nequeunt,  nisu  maiore  re- 
surgunt  I  exiliuntque  imis  altius 
id  a  vadis. 

—  evenit :  in  its  rare  literal 
meaning. — proruet,  geret:  these 
futures    differ    from    the    present 


349 


4,  4.  66]  HORATI 

luctere,  multa  proruet  integrum 
cum  laude  victorem  geretque 
proelia  coniugibus  loquenda. 

Carthagini  iam  non  ego  nuntios 
70  mittam  superbos  ;  occidit,  occidit 

spes  omnis  et  fortuna  nostri 

nominis  Hasdrubale  interempto.' 

Nil  Claudiae  non  perficient  manus, 
quas  et  benigno  numine  luppiter 
75  defendit  et  curae  sagaces 

expediunt  per  acuta  belli. 

evenit     only     in    showing     what  ion  the  closing  verses  are  given  to 

will   happen  in   each    case,  while  reflections  on  the  great  merits  of 

evenit  expresses  what  always  does  the  Claudii  and  the  expectations 

happen.  —  integrum  :     (hitherto)  that   may  be  cherished  of  them. 

nnharvied.  —  laude  :  glory.  —  con-  Some  modern  commentators  make 

iugibus  loquenda :  '  for  old  wives'  these  verses  also  a  part  of  Hanni- 

tales.'  bars  speech,  but  not  so  Porphyrio. 

70.  occidit,  occidit :  Intr.  28  a.  75  f .  curae  sagaces :  probably 
Cf.  Dryden's  well-known  lines  on  the  part  of  Augustus,  who  cares 
from  Alexander's  Feast,  '  He  sang  on  earth  for  them,  as  Jupiter  pro- 
Darius  great  and  good  |  By  too  tects  them  from  the  sky.  —  expe- 
severe  a  fate  |  Fallen,  fallen,  fallen,  diunt :  bring  through  ;  cf.  Verg. 
I  Fallen  from  his  high  estate.'  A.  2,  632  f.  ducente  dec  flavunam 

73  ff.    After  the  Pindaric  fash-  inter  et  host  is  \  expedior. 


The  blessings  of  Augustus'  rule.  'Guardian  of  the  Roman  race, 
thou  art  too  long  away.  Grant  us  again  the  light  of  thy  counte- 
nance that  makes  the  very  sun  shine  brighter.  As  a  mother  sufters 
for  her  son  detained  across  the  sea  by  winter  winds,  so  longs  thy  land 
for  thee  (1-16).  Safe  are  our  cattle,  bounteous  our  crops,  no  pirates 
vex  the  sea.  Faith,  chastity,  and  justice  sure,  no  fear  of  foreign  foe  — 
these  are  the  blessings  which  thy  rule  has  brought  (17-28).  After  a 
peaceful  day  of  toil,  the  farmer  at  his  evening  meal  makes  libation  and 
olTers  prayer  to  thee  among  his  household  gods,  even  as  Greece  remem- 

35° 


CARMINA  [4,  5,  5 

bers  her  great  benefactors.  At  morning  and  at  eventide  we  pray  that 
thou  wilt  give  thy  country  peace  (29-40).' 

For  the  military  events  that  called  Augustus  from  Rome  in  16  B.C., 
see  the  introductory  n.  to  4,  2.  It  was  also  said  (Dio  Cass.  55,  19), 
that  the  Emperor  wished  to  withdraw  from  the  city  for  a  time,  as  Solon 
once  had  done  from  Athens,  until  the  unpopularity  of  his  reform  meas- 
ures should  have  somewhat  abated.  His  return  at  an  early  date,  how- 
ever, was  confidently  expected;  when  it  was  put  off  from  time  to  time 
—  he  did  not  come  back  until  13  B.C.  —  the  feelings  of  the  great  body  of 
citizens  were  expressed  by  Horace  in  this  ode.  Peace  had  been  so  long 
reestablished  that  its  blessings  were  evident  on  every  hand ;  it  was 
natural  that  those  who  remembered  the  horrors  of  the  civil  wars  should 
have  a  lively  feeling  of  gratitude  to  the  Emperor  who  had  brought 
order  out  of  chaos  and  had  revived  the  weakened  and  impoverished 
state.  To  this  class  Horace  belonged ;  in  these  verses  he  shows  a 
genuine  warmth  of  feeling  which  is  not  found  in  his  earlier  odes  to  the 
Emperor,  and  which  his  official  position  as  laureate  did  not  call  forth. 
The  sense  of  security  here  expressed  is  in  marked  contrast  to  the  hope- 
less tone  of  3,  25. 

The  ode  is  carefully  polished  ;  the  frequent  cases  of  assonance  and 
alliteration  should  be  noted.  Its  date  cannot  be  absolutely  determined, 
but  may  be  approximately  fixed  as  14  B.C.  It  forms  a  pendant  to  4,  as 
Ode  15  to  14.     Metre,  72. 

Divis  orte  bonis,  optume  Romulae 
Gustos  gentis,  abes  iam  nimium  diu ; 
maturum  reditum  pollicitus  patrum 
sancto  concilio,  redi. 

5  Lucem  redde  tuae,  dux  bone,  patriae ; 

1  f .  divis  .  .  .  bonis  :  ablative  sanctissimo gravisshnoque  consilio. 
^hsolnit.,  when  the  gods  were  kitid.  5.    lucem:   i.e.  tuam;  cf.  Am- 

Augustus  is  said  to  be  the  gift  to  phitryon's  exclamation,  Eurip.  H. 

men  of  the  bo7ii  divi  4,  2,  38. —  7^.    531   f.    w    ^iXrar    dvSpaiv,    w 

Romulae  .   .  .  gentis  :    cf.    Verg.  <^aos  fJLoXwv   Trarpl  \  ^Kets-     Hor- 

.4.  6,  876  Romtda  .   .   .  tellus.  —  ace's  strophe  was  probably  in  the 

custos:  cf.  4,  15,  ij custode  reriim  mind  of  the  Christian  Prudentius 

Caesare.  when  he  wrote  Cath.  5,  \,\inven- 

4.   sancto  :  august ;  so  Cic.   in  tor  ruttli,  dux  bone.,  lummis  .  .  .  lu- 

Catil.  I,  4,  9  in  Jwc  or  bis  terrae  cent  redde  tuis,  Christe,  fidelibus . 


351 


i 


4.  5,  6] 


HORATI 


»5 


instar  veris  enim  voltus  ubi  tuus 
adfulsit  populo,  gratior  it  dies 
et  soles  melius  nitent. 

Vt  mater  iuvenem,  quern  Notus  invido 
flatu  Carpathii  trans  maris  aequora 
cunctantem  spatio  longius  annuo 
dulci  distinct  a  domo, 

votis  ominibusque  et  precibus  vocat, 
curvo  nee  faciem  litore  demovet, 
sic  desideriis  icta  fidelibus 
quaerit  patria  Caesarem. 

Tutus  bos  etenim  rura  perambulat, 'a 
nutrit  rura  Ceres  almaque  Faustitas,* 


6  ff .  instar :  here  of  quality ; 
usually  of  quantity,  size,  as  Verg. 
A.  2,  15  instar  mo7itis  equnm. — 
veris :  cf.  Theoc.  12,  3  flf.  oo-croi/ 
lap  y(.i[)Mvo<i  .  .  .  ijOLOv  .  .  .  rocr- 
(Tov  €/x  ev<f>pr]va';  av  ^avei's-  '  As 
spring  is  sweeter  than  winter,  even 
so  hast  thou  cheered  me  by  thy 
appearing.' 

—  it  dies  :  cf.  2,  1 4,  5  qtwtquot 
eiint  dies.  —  soles,  etc. :  see  n.  on 
ptilcher  i„  2,  47. 

9  ff.  mater  iuvenem :  note  the 
juxtaposition  which  gives  at  once 
the  members  of  the  comparison. 
—  Notus,  Carpathii  :^  cf.  n.  to  i, 
I,  13. — invido  :  the  mother's  epi- 
thet for  the  wind  that  detains  her 
son.  —  spatio  longius  annuo  :  he 
must  spend  the  winter  away,  as 
Gyges  at  Oricum  3,  7,  i  fF. 

13  f .  votis,  etc.  :  the  mother 
employs  every  means  to  call  him 


home.  The  verse  was  employed 
by  Ausonius,  Epist.  25,  120  i. 
votis  ominibusque  bonis  precibus- 
quevocatus  \  adpropera. — vocat: 
literally.  —  curvo  :  a  stock  epithet ; 
cf  Epod.  10,  21.  There  is  a  rem- 
iniscence of  these  two  verses  in 
St.  Jerome,  ad  Ruf.  i  non  sic 
curvo  adsidens  litori  anxia  Jilitim 
mater  expectat. 

15.  icta :  smitten  by,  t/xtjow  irv 
TrXr^y/xtVos,  Aesch.  Ag.  544.  Cf 
Lucret.  2,  360  desiderio  perfixa 
iuvenci. 

17  ff.  Notice  that  the  empha.sii- 
falls  on  tutus,  nutrit,  pacatum.  — 
etenim :  '  (we  cannot  spare  thee 
from  us),  for  under  thy  protectior 
the  kine,'  etc. — perambulat : 
it  grazes. 

18.  rura :  the  repetition  is  noi 
emphatic,  but  causes  us  to  lingei 
on   the  picture. — Faustitas  :  tlii 


35: 


CARMINA 


[4.  5.  29 


pacatum  volitant  per  mare  navitae, 
culpari  metuit  fides, 

nuUis  poUuitur  casta  domus  stupris, 
mos  et  lex  macuiosum  edomuit  nefas, 
laudantur  simili  prole  puerperae, 
culpam  poena  premit  comes. 

Quis  Parthum  paveat,  quis  gelidum  Scythen, 
quis  Germania  quos  horrida  parturit 
fetus,  incolumi  Caesare  ?    Quis  ferae 
bellum  curet  Hiberiae  ? 

Condit  quisque  diem  collibus  in  suis 


aiA-^uact  divinity  is  named  only 
here,  but  is  evidently  the  same  as 
Faust  a  Felicitas,  '  Fertility.' 

19  f.  pacatixm:  i.e.  of  pirates. 
Cf.  Epod.  4,  19.  AfoH.  Anc.  5,  i 
marepacavi  a  praedoiiibus. — voli- 
tant -.flit. — culpari :  unfair  action. 

21-24.  This  strophe  refers  to 
Augustus'  attempt  by  means  of 
the  lex  lulia  de  adulteriis  passed 
in  18  B.C.  to  check  the  growth  of 
immorality  and  to  restore  the 
purity  of  domestic  life.  (Cf.  C.  S. 
17  ff.)  Unfortunately  the  picture 
liere  given  of  his  success  is  too 
rose-colored.  —  casta  :  proleptic,' 
now  pure,  /s,  etc.  —  mos  et  lex  : 
sentiment  and  law ;  without  the 
support  of  the  first  the  second  is 
of  little  service.  Cf.  3,  24,  35 
and  n.  —  edomuit :  /las  conMetelv , 
etc. 

23  f .  simili  prole  :  for  children 
^at  resemble  {their  fathers^.  Cf. 
Hesiod  Op.  235  rtKrovcriv  §€  ywai- 

HOR,  CAR.  —  23  353 


KVi  (the  wives  of  the  righteous) 
ioLKora  TfKva  TOKevai.  Also  Ca- 
tul.  61,  221  sit  suo  similis  patri 
I  Matilio  et  facile  insciis  \  noscitetur 
ab  omnibus  \  et  pudicitiam  suae  \ 
tnatris  indicet  ore. — premit  comes : 
i.e.  no  longer  limps  far  behind ; 
cf.  3,  2,  32.  With  the  phrase, 
cf.  6".  2,  7,  115  {Cura)  comes  atra 
premit  sequiturque  fugacetn . 

25  ff.  Peace  on  the  borders.  — 
Partlumi :  in  20  B.C.  the  Parthians 
had  given  back  the  Roman  stand- 
ards. Cf.  3,  14,  15  and  n. — 
Scythen :  cf.  3,  8,  23  f.  and  n.  — 
parturit :  breeds.  —  fetus  :  swarms. 
—  incolumi  Caesare :  so  long  as, 
etc.  Cf.  3,  5,  12.  —  bellum  Hibe- 
riae :  i.e.  the  long-continued  re- 
sistance of  the  Cantabrians,  finally 
overcome  in  19  B.C.     Cf.  2.  6.  2. 

29  f .  condit :  brings  to  rest,  i.e. 
spends  peacefully.  Cf.  Verg.  E. 
9,  5 1  f.  saepe  ego  longos  \  cantando 
puerum  memini  me  condere  soles. 


4,  5.  3°] 


HORATI 


30  et  vitem  viduas  ducit  ad  arbores ; 

hinc  ad  vina  redit  laetus  et  alteris 
te  mensis  adhibet  deum  ; 

te  multa  prece,  te  prosequitur  mero 
defuso  pateris,  et  Laribus  tuum 
35  miscet  numen,  uti  Graecia  Castoris 

et  magni  memor  Herculis. 

'  Longas  o  utinam,  dux  bone,  ferias 
praestes  Hesperiae  ! '  dicimus  integro 
-  sicci  mane  die,  dicimus  uvidi, 
40  .  cum  sol  Oceano  subest. 


—  coUibus  :  cf.  i,  20,  12. — suis: 
his  own,  emphasizing  the  posses- 
sion of  lands  by  small  holders. 
One  of  Augustus'  most  cherished 
plans  was  the  restoration  of  agri- 
culture in  Italy.  —  viduas  :  U7i- 
wedded.  —  ducit :  cf.  Epod.  2,  i  o 
and  the  passage  from  Milton  there 
quoted,  '  They  led  the  vine  to  wed 
her  elm,'  etc. 

31.  redit:  sc.  domuf/i.  —  al- 
teris mensis :  before  the  dessert, 
mensae  secundae,  was  brought, 
libations  and  offerings  of  food 
were  made  to  the  household  gods  ; 
with  these  divinities  Augustus  was 
early  associated  by  the  sentiment 
of  the  people.  Later  a  decree  of 
the  Senate  required  this  worship. 
Cf.  Ovid.  Fast.  2,  633  ff.  et  libate 
dopes  7it,  fp-ati  pignus  honoris^  \ 
iiuiriat  incinctos  viissa  patella 
Lares',  \  iamqtie  nbi  suadebit pla- 


cidos  nox  umida  somnos,  \  larga 
precaturi  suinite  vina  manu,  \  et 
'■bene  vos,  bene  te,  patriae  pater, 
optitne  Caesar '  j  dicite  sttffuso  ter 
bona  verba  mero. 

32.  adhibet  :  invites,  in  his 
prayer. 

33f.  te  .  .  .  te:  Intr.  28  c — 
Laribus:  dative.  Intr.  89.  — uti 
Graecia,  etc. :  '  the  honor  which 
Greece  pays  her  mythical  benefac- 
tors, thou  receivest  in  thy  lifetime.' 

—  Castoris,  Herculis  :  belonging  to 
both  numen  and  memor.  Intr.  100. 

37  ff.  0  utinam,  etc. :  i.e.  'long 
may'st  thou  live,  and  may  thy  life 
secure  thy  land  continued  peace.' 

—  ferias  :  '  vacations,'  i.e.  days  of 
peace.  —  Hesperiae:    cf.   2,    i,   32. 

—  integro  :  untouched,  and  entire 
before  us.  —  sicci:  cf.  i.  18.  3. — 
uvidi:  f3cl3pcyixevoL.  Cf.  1,7,22; 
2,  19,  18. 


354 


CARMINA  [4.  6,  4 


A  prelude  to  the  Carmen  Saecidare. 

'  Apollo,  thou  who  didst  punish  Niobe  and  Tityos,  and  didst  lay  low 
Achilles  for  all  his  prowess  ;  he  who  but  for  thee  and  Venus  would  have 
slain  ruthlessly  every  Trojan  child,  so  that  none  would  have  remained 
to  found  another  state  with  better  auspices  (1-24).  Thou  divine  min- 
strel, guard,  I  pray,  the  glory  of  the  Daunian  Muse  (25-28).  Phoebus 
it  is  who  gives  me  my  power  and  name.  Ye  noble  maids  and  boys, 
mark  well  the  measure.  Sing  Apollo  and  Diana.  Proud  shall  be  thy 
boast  when  matron  that  at  the  great  festival  thou  didst  render  the  song 
of  the  poet  Horace  (29-44).' 

The  poem  thus  falls  into  two  divisions  —  the  prayer  to  Apollo  (1-28). 
and  the  address  to  the  chorus  of  boys  and  girls  that  is  to  sing  the  Secu- 
lar Hymn  (31-44).  The  two  parts  are  connected  by  vv.  29-30,  in 
which  Horace  acknowledges  that  he  owes  his  inspiration,  skill,  and  even 
name  of  poet  to  the  god.  The  date  of  composition  is  evidently  not  far 
from  that  of  the  Cartnen  Saecidare,  17  B.C.     Metre,  69. 

Dive,  quern  proles  Niobea  magnae 
vindicem  linguae  Tityosque  raptor 
sensit  et  Troiae  prope  victor  altae 
Phthius  Achilles, 

I.  dive:  Apollo,  as  the  follow-  Certain  figures  are  reproduced  in 
ing  verses  clearly  show.  The  in-  Baumeister  3,  pp.  1673  fF. 
vocation  is  resumed  v.  25  and  the  ^i.  magnae  .  .  .  linguae :  boast- 
verb,  def ende,  is  not  found  until  ing  —  fji.eydXrj  yXiaaar)  —  the  gods 
v.  27.  —  proles  Niobea:  the  seven  will  not  brook.  Cf.  Soph.  Afif. 
sons  and  seven  daughters  whom  127  f.  Zei;?  yap /AcyaX?/?  yXwcrcrT;? 
Apollo  and  Diana  shot  down  to  KOfxirov^  vTrepe^OaLpei.  —  Tityosque 
punish  Niobe  for  her  boast  that,  raptor:  cf.  n.  to  2,  14,  8.  —  sensit: 
while  Leto  bore  but  two  children,  cf.  4,  4,  25.  —  prope  victor:  i.e. 
she  had  many.  In  Horace's  day  after  killing  Hector,  Troy's  chief 
a  group  representing  the  slaying  bulwark  of  defense.  When  dying, 
was  to  be  seen  in  the  portico  of  Hector  foretold  the  death  of  his 
Apollo's  temple,  built  by  C.  Sosius.  slayer.  //.  22,  359  f.  ij/jmti.  tw  ore 
The  group  was  thought  to  be  the  kIv  ctc  Ilapis  Koi  ^ol(3o<;  '  AttoWwv 
work  of  Praxiteles  or  Scopas.  |  iaOXov  iovr  oAeawo-tv  ivl  "^KaLrja-i 
Fragments  of  a  similar  group  are  7ruA.r;trtv.  —  Troiae  .  .  .  altae  :  the 
now   in   the   Uffizi    in    Florence.  Homeric  "lAto?  aiTretvr;. 

355 


4.  6,  5] 


HORATI 


IS 


ceteris  maior,  tibi  miles  impar, 
filius  quamvis  Thetidis  marinae 
Dardanas  turris  quateret  tremenda 
cuspide  pugnax, 

(ille,  mordaci  velut  icta  ferro 
pinus  aut  impulsa  cupressus  Euro, 
procidit  late  posuitque  collum  in 
pulvere  Teucro ; 

ille  non  inclusus  equo  Minervae 
sacra  mentito  male  feriatos 
Troas  et  lactam  Priami  choreis 
falleret  aulam, 

sed  palam  captis  gravis,  heu  nefas  heu, 
nescios  fari  pueros  Achivis 


5  ff.  tibi :  to  thee  alone.  — filius, 
etc. :  though  he  was  the  son  of 
Thetis  and  shook,  etc.  —  quateret : 
cf.  Verg.  A.  9,  608  qitatit  oppida 
bello. — tremenda  cuspide :  Achilles' 
mighty  spear  is  described  //.  16, 
141  ff.  and  19, 387  ff.  Trarpwiov  iaTrd- 
craT  ijxo^  I  l3pLdv,  fJiiya,  arifiapov  • 
TO  fx,€V  ov  Suvar'  aAAos  'A^^aioiv  j 
TraAXetv,  dAAa  /aiv  otos  CTrtoraTO 
TT^Aai  A;(tAAei;s,  |  Ilr)\idBa  [jieXiT]v, 
TTjv  TrarpX  <^tAa)  Trope  ^upoiv  \  Yirf- 
Xlov    ck    Kopu<^^s,     (fiOVOV     f.fJLfJ.tVai 

■^pwta-cnv.  —  pugnax  :  with  parti- 
cipial force,  as  Livy  22,  37,  8  pug- 
nacesqjie  viissili  telo  gentes. 

9  ff.  mordaci :  the  same  personi- 
fication as  Eurip.  Cyc.  395  TreAeKcwv 
yva^ots-  — ^ procidit  late :  the  meta- 
phor of  the  tree  is  still  remembered, 
but  cf.  //.  18,  26  f.  avTos  8'  ev  Ko- 


vi-Qcn  fiiya<;  fieyaXoxxTi  rawaOeU  \ 
KCLTo.  —  The  story  of  the  wooden 
horse  had  been  revived  in  the  minds 
of  Roman  readers  by  the  Aene/d, 
which  had  been  recently  published. 

13  ff.  Minervae  :  with  both  equo 
and  sacra.  —  mentito  :  that  pre- 
tended to  be.  —  male  feriatos:  their 
holiday  was  ill-fated.  — falleret :  a 
past  apodosis  as  the  context  re- 
quires. The  formal  protasis  ap- 
pears V.  21  f.  —  aulam:  the  court. 

17  ff.  sed  palam  :  modifying 
captis ;  in  contrast  with  falleret 
— '  he  would  not  have  resorted  to 
secret  devices,  but  would  have 
taken  his  captives  in  open  war- 
fare,' etc.  —  gravis:  ySapvs,  cruel, 
fnerctless.  —  nescios  fari :  a  peri- 
phrasis (or  infantes,  vrjiria  reKva.  — 
Achivis  :  i.e.  set  by  the  Greeks.  — 


356 


CARMINA 


[4.  6,  32 


30 


ureret  flammis,  etiam  latentem 
matris  in  alvo, 

ni  tuis  victus  Venerisque  gratae 
vocibus  div-um  pater  adnuisset 
rebus  Aeneae  potiore  ductos 
alite  muros ;) 

doctor  argutae  fidicen  Thaliae, 
Phoebe,  qui  Xantho  lavis  amne  crinis, 
Dauniae  defende  decus  Camenae, 
levis  Agyieu. 

Spiritum  Phoebus  mihi,  Phoebus  artem 
carminis  nomenque  dedit  poetae. 
Virginum  primae  puerique  claris 
patribus  orti, 


etiam  latentem,  etc. :  cf.  //.  6,  57  ff. 

TtOV      (Tpoiwv)      /XlJ     T6S     VTr€K<^vyOL 

aiirvv  oXeOpov  \  ;;(£tpas  6  ■^ixerepa.'i  • 
lirjb  ov  TLva  yacrripi  p-rjT-qp  \  Kovpov 
iovTa  (f>ipoi.  p.rp  bs  cf>vyoi. 

21  ff .  '  If  it  had  not  been  for 
thy  prayers  and  those  of  Venus, 
there  would  have  been  none  left 
to  found  Rome.''  —  ni :  found  no- 
where else  in  the  Odes,  but  com- 
mon in  the  Satires.  —  adnuisset : 
transitive.  —  potiore  .  .  .  alite:  cf 
I,  15,  5  ma/a  avi  and  n.  —  ductos  : 
traced. 

25  f.  Resuming  the  address  to 
Apollo.  —  doctor,  etc.  :  'AttoXAwv 
MovcrayeT?;;.  —  argutae  :  Atyeta?. 
Cf  3,  14,  21. — fidicen  :cf.  Hor- 
ace's description  of  his  own  func- 
tion. 4,  3,  23.  —  Xantho  :  in  Lycia. 
J— lavis,  etc. :  cf.  3,  4,  61  ff. 


L 


27  f .  Dauniae :  equivalent  to 
'Italian," 'Roman';  but  selected  with 
reference  to  Horace's  birthplace. 
Cf.  n.  to  3,  30,  10;  also  2,  i,  34. 
— levis :  smooth-cheeked. — Agyieu: 
as  guardian  of  streets.  The  epi- 
thet is  found  only  here  in  Roman 
poetry,  but  is  common  in  Greek. 
Cf.  Eurip,  Phoen.  631  kox  <tv, 
$01/3'  ava^  Ayviei). 

29  f .  The  poet's  warrant  for 
his  charge. — spiritum:  cf.  2,  16, 
38.  — artem:  'technical  skill'; 
the  contrast  with  spiritum  is 
strengthened  by  the  chiasmus. — 
poetae  :  only  here  applied  by  Hor- 
ace to  himself:  elsewhere  he  pre- 
fers vates.     Cf.  n.  to  i,  i,  35. 

31.  primae,  etc. :  the  boys  and 
girls  of  the  chorus  which  sang  the 
Carmen  Saeculare  were  of  gentle 


357 


4.  6,  33] 


HO  RATI 


35 


40 


Deliae  tutela  deae,  fugacis 
lyncas  et  cervos  cohibentis  arcu, 
Lesbium  servate  pedem  meique 
pollicis  ictum, 

rite  Latonae  puerum  canentes, 
rite  crescentem  face  Noctilucam, 
prosperam  frugum  celeremque  pronos 
volvere  mensis. 

Nupta  iam  dices  '  Ego  dis  amicum, 
saeculo  festas  referente  luces, 


biilli  and  patrimi  et  vtatrimi,  i.e. 
'  with  both  parents  living.' 

33  ff.  tutela  :  in  passive  sense, 
wards.  Diana,  the  virgin  god- 
dess, was  the  especial  protectress 
of  innocent  youth.  Cf.  Catull.  34, 
I  Dianae  sumus  in  fide  \  pjiellae 
et  pueri  integri.  By  the  mention 
of  this  function  Horace  is  enabled 
to  give  the  goddess  a  place  in  his 
hymn  beside  her  brother  Apollo. 
—  lyncas  et  cervos  :  possibly  imi- 
tated from  Callim.  Hymn,  in 
Dian.  16  f.  oTTTroTe  ixrjKtTL  Airyxas 
\ /J^rjT  cAa^ovs  /8aXA.oi//.i. — cohi- 
bentis :  iv/io  checks.  —  Lesbium 
pedem :  i.e.  Sappho's  measure. 
Cf.  I,  I.  34  Lesboum  barbiton.  — 
pollicis  ictum :  in  his  imagination 
Horace  pictures  himself  as  x^/^O" 
8iSa(r«aXos,  striking  the  lyre  to 
direct  the  song. 

37  f.  rite:  d2dy:  i.e.  perform- 
ing the  solemn  function  in  the 
prescribed  form. — Latonae  puerum 
canenltes  :  the  boys  :  while  the 
girls  praise   IVoctihica.  —  crescen- 


tem :  with  grcnving  light  (face) . 
—  Noctiluca  :  an  archaic  name  of 
Lnna^  who  under  this  designa- 
tion was  worshiped  on  the  Pala- 
tine. 

39  f .  prosperam  :  with  objec- 
tive genitive.  Cf.  C.  S.  2()fer tilts 
frugiiiu.  Intr.  92.  —  celerem  .  .  . 
volvere:  Intr.  108.  —  pronos:  the 
gliding,  hurrying.  Cf.  i,  29,  11 
pronos  rivos.  For  this  function 
of  the  goddess,  cf.  Catull.  34,  i/ff. 
tu  cursii,  dea,  menstrico  \  metiens 
iter  annjium,  \  rustica  agricolae 
bonis  I  tectafrugibus  exples. 

41  f.  nupta  :  the  address  is  con- 
fined to  the  girls  who  would  re- 
member their  participation  in  the 
liidisaecidares  as  one  of  the  great- 
est events  in  their  lives.  The  sin- 
gular number  is  used  after  the 
Greek  fashion.  —  idiXR.:  presently, 
when  married.  —  amicum :  agree- 
ing with  carmen.  For  the  mean- 
ing, cf.  1 ,  26,  I .  —  saeculo :  cf.  in- 
troductory note  to  C.  S.  p.  388  f.  — 
luces:  cf4,  II,  19;   15,25. 


358 


CARMINA 


[4.  7.  7 


reddidi  carmen  docilis  modorum 
vatis  Horati.' 


43  f.  reddidi:  rendered;  regu- 
larly used  of  repeating  what  has 
been  committed  to  memory.  Cf. 
4,  1 1 .  34  modos  .  .  .  qiios  reddas. 
—  modonun:    obj.   genitive    with 


docilis,  trained  in.  Intr.  92.  — 
vatis  Horati:  thus  at  the  end  Hor- 
ace casually  mentions  his  office  and 
his  name  to  secure  the  emphasis 
he  desired. 

il/ 


•  Spring  is  here  again ;  hand  in  hand  the  Nymphs  and  Graces  dance. 
The  seasons  change  and  wane,  but  come  again.  But  we.  when  we  are 
gone,  come  not  back.  So  give  thyself  good  cheer  while  yet  thou  mayst; 
thou  canst  not  buy  escape  from  nether  gloom.' 

The  ode  is  a  close  parallel  to  1,4,  with  which  it  should  be  carefully 
compared.  The  Torquatus  addressed  was  an  intimate  of  Horace  and 
an  advocate  of  considerable  prominence.  See  Epist.  i,  5.  There  is 
no  hint  of  the  date  of  composition.     Metre,  78. 

Diffugere  nives,  redeunt  iam  gramina  campis 

arboribusque  comae ; 
mutat  terra  vices  et  decrescentia  ripas 

flumina  praetereunt ; 
5       Gratia  cum  Nymphis  geminisque  sororibus  audet 

ducere  nuda  chores. 
Immortalia  ne  speres,  monet  annus  et  almum 


2.  comae:  cf.  i,  21.  5  and  n. ; 
4.  3.  1 1 . 

3  f.  mutat  terra  vices  :  the  ex- 
pression was  frequently  imitated 
by  later  writers  —  e.g.  Anth.  Lat. 
676,  3  R.  alternant  ele?nenta  vices 
et  tempora  mutant.  —  vices :  the 
'  inner  object "  of  mutat.  Cf.  i,  4, 
I.  —  decrescentia:  since  the  winter 
floods  are  over.  —  praetereunt  : 
i.e.  no  longer  overflow. 

5  f.    Cf.  3,  19,  16  Gratia  nudis 


iiincta  sororibus;   i,  4.  6  iunctae- 
qtie  Nytnphis  Gratiae  decent es. 

7.  immortalia  :  imntortality . 
—  ne  speres :  dependent  on  monet : 
cf.  I.  18.  7  f.  With  the  senti- 
ment, cf.  Eurip.  Frg.  1075  ^vt/t6s 
yap  wv  /cat  Bvqra.  irtCdtirdaL  Sokci  • 
I  {rj)  Oeov  (iCov  ^rjv  dfiots  av6poy- 
TTOs  wv ;  '  For  as  thou  art  mortal, 
expect  to  bear  a  mortal's  lot. 
or  dost  thou  ask  to  live  a  god's 
life,  when  thou  art  but  a  man?' 


359 


4.  7,  8] 


HORATI 


quae  rapit  hora  diem  : 
frigora  mitescunt  Zephyris,  ver  proterit  aestas, 
lo  interitura  simul 

pomifer  autumnus  fruges  effuderit,  et  mox 

bruma  recurrit  iners. 
Damna  tamen  celeres  reparant  caelestia  lunae  : 
nos  ubi  decidimus 
15  quo  pius  Aeneas,  quo  Tullus  dives  et  Ancus, 

pulvis  et  umbra  sumus. 

-  annus :  the  changing  year,  Trept,-      occidere  et  redire  possunt :  \  nodi's 


TrXofjLcvos  cvtavTos-  —  quae   rapit  : 

that  hurries  on,  etc.  ;  snatching 
away  from  man  the  time  of  his  en- 
joyment. Cf.  3,  29,  48  quod ftigi- 
ens  seiiiel  hora  vexit. 

9-12.  The  progress  of  the  sea- 
sons. Cf.  Lucretius'  description 
5,  737  ff.  it  Ver  et  Venus  et  Ver  is 
praeujintius  ante  \  pennatus  gra- 
ditur  Zephyrus.  .  .  .  inde  loci 
sequitur  calor  aridus  .  .  .  inde 
autmnnus adit  .  .  .  tandenibriuna 
nives  adfert  pigniniqne  rigor  em. 

—  Zephyris:  cf.  n.  to  i,  4,  i. — 
proterit :  '■  treads  on  the  heels  of.' 

—  interitura  :  destined  to  die. 
Intr.  I  ID.  —  pomifer :  cf.  3,  23,  8  ; 
Epod.  2,  17.  —  effuderit :  as  it  were 
from  a  horn  of  plenty.  Cf.  Epist. 
I.  12,  28  aiirea  fniges Italiae  pleno 
defundit  Copia  cornu.  —  iners  : 
contrasting  winter  with  the  other 
seasons. 

13.  damna  .  .  .  caelestia :  the 
losses  of  the  heavens,  i.e.  the  sea- 
sons. The  contrast  is  furnished 
by  the  following  verse.  With  the 
sentiment  cf.  Catuli.  5,  4  ff .  soles 


cum  semel  occidit  brevis  lux,  \  nox 
est  perpetua  una  dormienda. 

14  f.  decidimus :  cf.  Epist.  2, 
1 ,  36  scriptor  abhinc  annos  centum 
qui  decidit.  —  pius  :  established 
by  the  Aeneid  as  the  epithet  of 
its  hero. —  Tullus:  the  mythical 
king  famed  for  his  wealth.  —  An- 
cus :  whose  goodness  was  immor- 
talized by  Ennius'  line  lumi7ia  sis 
(i.e.  suis)  oculis  etiam  bonus  An- 
cus reliquit. 

16.  pulvis  et  umbra  :  in  the 
grave  and  the  lower  world.  Cf. 
Soph.  Elec.  1 1 58  f.  dvTi  <^ikra.T-f]% 
fjiop<f)r}<;  (TTToSov  re  Koi  <TKLav  dvw- 
4>€\t].  Also  Asclepiades'  warning 
to  a  maiden,  Anth.  Pal.  5,  84  <^€t8j; 
TrapBcvirjS  '  Koi  Ti  irXeov ;  ov  yap  €S 
aSrjv  I  iXOova  ivprjaei'i  tov  <f)iXt- 
ovra,  Koprj.  \  iv  ^wolcn  ra  repirva  ra 
KwpiSos  •  eV  8'  'A^epovTi  ]  Sarea 
Koi  CTTToSiy;,  irapOevi.,  Keiaop-eOa. 
'  Thou  sparest  thy  maidenhood, 
and  what  advantage?  For  when 
thou  goest  to  Hades,  maid,  thou  wilt 
not  there  find  thy  lover.  Among 
the  living  only  are  the  delights  of 


360 


CARMINA 


[4.  1,  28 


25 


Quis  scit  an  adiciant  hodiernae  crastina  summae 

tempora  di  superi  ? 
Cuncta  mamis^vidas  fugient  heredis,  amico 

quae  dederis  animo. 
Cum  semel  occideris  et  de  te  splendida  Minos 

fecerit  arbitria, 
non,  Torquate,  genus,  non  te  facundia,  non  te 

restituet  pietas. 
Infernis  neque  enim  tenebris  Diana  pudicum 

liberat  Hippolytum, 
nee  Lethaea  valet  Theseus  abrumpere  caro 

vincula  Pirithoo. 


Cypris ;  in  Acheron,  maiden,  we 
shall  be  only  bones  and  ashes.' 

17  f.  Cf.  I,  9,  13  fF.  ;  Epist.  I, 
4.  12  ff.  inter  spent  curamqtie, 
tiinores  inter  et  iras  \  otnnetn  crede 
dietn  tibi  diliixisse  supremntn ;  | 
grata  superveniet  quae  non  spera- 
bitur  hora.  Also  Anac.  15,  9  f . 
TO  (Trjfjitpov  fiiXiL  fxoL,  TO  8'  avpLov 
Ti<:  olSev.  —  summae:  cf.   i,  4,  15. 

19  ff .  The  lesson  of  the  preced- 
ing.—  heredis:  the  dreaded  heir, 
the  thought  of  whom  haunts  every 
man  who  gathers  riches.  Cf.  n.  to 
2,  3,  19 ;  also  2,  14,  25  ;  3,  24,  62. 

—  dederis  animo  :  essentially  the 
same  as  geninm  curare  3,  17,  14. 
The  adjective  amico  is  added  in  im- 
itation of  the  Homeric  ^i\ovr]Top. 

21.   semel:  cf.  n.  to  i,  24,  16. 

—  splendida :  stately ;  properly  the 
characteristicof  Minos'  court,  trans- 
ferred to  his  decrees.     Intr.  99. 

23  f .   genus,   facimdia,   pietas : 


the  first  two  at  least  applied  to 
Torquatus,  for  he  was  a  member 
of  the  noble  Manlian  gens  and 
was  an  advocate  of  some  eminence. 
Note  the  cadence  of  the  verse. 

25  ff.  Two  mythological  illus- 
trations. Observe  that  pudicum 
and  caro  are  set  over  against  each 
other,  and  express  the  qualities 
for  which  Hippolytus  and  Piri- 
thous  were  famous  —  the  first  for 
his  chastity  in  refusing  the  ad- 
vances of  Phaedra,  his  step-mother, 
the  second  for  his  friendship  with 
Theseus.  Horace  follows  the 
Greek  legend  according  to  which 
Artemis  could  not  save  her  devo- 
tee from  death ;  but  the  myth 
among  the  Romans  made  Diana 
restore  Hippolytus  to  life  and  trans- 
fer him  under  the  name  of  Virbius 
to  her  grove  by  Lake  Nemi  (Verg. 
A.  7,  768  ff.  ;  Ovid.  Met.  15, 
548  ff.) .  —  Pirithoo :  cf.  n.  to  3, 4, 80. 


361 


4,  8,  I]  HORATI 

8 

The  two  following  odes  treat  a  single  theme — the  immortality  of  song. 

•  Bronzes,  marbles,  pictures  I  have  none  to  give,  good  friend  Censo- 
rinus,  nor  wouldst  thou  desire  them.  Song  is  thy  delight,  and  song  1 
can  bestow.  The  chiseled  record  of  men's  deeds  is  weaker  than  the 
Muse.  Through  her  gift  the  great  ones  of  the  past  escaped  oblivion. 
and  have  their  place  in  heaven.' 

C.  Marcius  Censorinus,  cos.  8  B.C..  is  known  only  from  these  verses 
and  a  single  reference  in  Velleius.  It  has  been  conjectured  not  without 
reason  that  this  ode  was  Horace's  gift  to  his  friend  on  the  Calends  of 
March  or  on  the  Saturnalia,  when  presents  were  exchanged  as  at  our 
Christmas.     Metre,  53. 

Donarem  pateras  grataque  commodus, 
Censorine,  meis  aera  sodalibus, 
donarem  tripodas,  praemia  fortium 
Graiorum,  neque  tu  pessima  munerum 

5  ferres,  divite  me  scilicet  artium 

quas  aut  Parrhasius  protulit  aut  Scopas, 
hie  saxo,  liquidis  ille  coloribus 
sellers  nunc  hominem  ponere,  nunc  deum. 
Sed  non  haec  mihi  vis,  non  tibi  talium 

ro  res  est  aut  animus  deliciarum  egens : 

I.   donarem:  the  protasis  is  ex-  5  f .  ferres :  equivalent  to  «?//<?;'- 

pressed  in  a  general  way  by  divite  res  :  cf.  3.  16,  22.  —  scilicet :   thai 

me  v.  5,  which,  however,  is  closely  is,  of  course.  —  artium  :    works  of 

joined  with  the  words  that  follow  art.  —  Parrhasius:  a  famous  painter 

it. — commodus:    cons-iilting  their  born  at  Ephesus,  a  contemporary 

taste.,  so  that  the  gifts  would  be  in  Athens  of  Socrates.  —  Scopas: 

grata.  —  aera  :   bronzes,   especially  of  Paros,  a  distinguished  sculptor 

vases.  in  the  first  half  of  the  fourth  cen- 

3.    donarem  :  jt'j,  /  i'//fl///rt',  etc.  tury  B.C. 

Intr.  28  c.  —  praemia:    in  apposi-  ^.  "^on^xQ:  at  representing.    For 

tion  with  tripodas,  which  were  used  the  mood,  see  Intr.  108. 

as  early  as  Homer's  day  for  prizes.  9  f.    non  haec,  etc. :  I  have  not 

Cf.    //.    23,    259    vyfiiv    8'    eK(f>ep'  the  power  (to  give  snch.  presents). 

ae^Aa,    XeySr^Tas    re    rptVoSas    re  Cf.    Epod.    5,    94. — res  ...  aut 

C  kyO<K(.v<i) .  animus:  estate  or  tastes.     That  is, 

362 


CARMINA 


[4.8,  17 


gaudes  carminibus  ;  carmina  possumus 
don  are  et  pretium  dicere  muneri. 
Non  incisa  notis  marmora  publicis, 
per  quae  spiritus  et  vita  redit  bonis 
post  mortem  ducibus,  non  celeres  fugae 
reiectaeque  retrorsum  Hannibalis  minae, 
non  incendia  Carthaginis  impiae 


Lensorinus  is  rich  enough  to  buy 
these  rare  things  if  he  desired, 
but  is  too  simple  in  his  tastes  to 
wish  them. — deliciarum  :  C7trios, 
with  disparaging  force. 

11.  Horace  will  bring  a  gift 
which  will  please  his  friend,  but 
such  as  money  cannot  buy. 

12.  pretium  dicere  muneri :  tell 
the  worth  of,  set  a  price  on.  The 
common  expression  is  preiiufii 
statuere,  ponere.  The  following 
verses  state  the  worth.  The  thought 
is  the  same  as  in  Epist.  2,  i,  248  flf. 

13  fi.  '  Neither  inscribed  statues 
nor  great  deeds  in  war  have  se- 
cured Scipio  the  fame  which  he 
has  gained  from  Ennius''poem.''  — 
notis  .  .  .  publicis  :  inscriptions 
cut  at  the  state's  orders;  instru- 
mental abl.  —  marmora:  the  fol- 
lowing clause  shows  that  this  in- 
cludes both  the  statues  and  their 
bases  on  which  the  inscriptions 
are  engraved.  Translate  simply, 
warbles.  —  spiritus  et  vita  :  a 
double  expression  of  a  single  idea, 
yet  somewhat  more  comprehen- 
sive than  either  word  would  be 
alone ;  cf.  4.  2,  28  tnore  modoqne. 
Also  with  the  general  sentiment, 
cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  847  f.  exxudent  alii 


spirantia  tnollius  aera,  \  credo  equi- 
dem,  vivos  ducetit  de  niarmore 
volt  us.  —  non  fugae,  reiectae  minae, 
incendia :  all  these  confer  fame, 
and  might  secure  the  memory  of 
the  leader  under  whom  they  were 
accomplished  ;  yet  all  are  inferior 
to  song.  —  fugae:  from  Italy  or 
after  the  battle  of  Zama,  or  both. 
—  reiectae  .  .  .  minae  :  Hanni- 
bal's threats  against  Rome  were 
hurled  back  by  the  reduction  of 
Carthage.  —  incendia,  etc.  :  this 
verse  has  troubled  critics,  both 
because  it  has  no  diaeresis  and 
because  the  burning  of  Carthage 
was  not  accomplished  until  146 
B.C.,  when  the  Scipio  who  brought 
the  Second  Punic  war  to  an  end 
had  been  dead  for  seventeen, 
and  Ennius,  who  celebrated  his 
fame,  for  five  years.  It  was  the 
younger  Scipio  Aemilianus  who 
razed  Carthage.  However,  Hor- 
ace may  have  consciously  taken 
the  name  Scipio  Africanus  —  in- 
herited by  the  younger  —  simply 
as  typical  of  one  who  had  won 
great  fame  in  war.  Yet  vv.  18  f. 
can  strictly  only  apply  to  the  elder 
Scipio. 

—  impiae  :  cf.  n.  to  4,  4,  46. 


363 


4,  S,  lb] 


HORATI 


25 


eius,  qui  domita  nomen  ab  Africa 
lucratus  rediit,  clarius  indicant 
laudes  quam  Calabrae  Pierides ;  neque 
si  chartae  sileant  quod  bene  feceris, 
mercedem  tuleris.     Quid  foret  Iliae 
Mavortisque  puer,  si  taciturnitas 
obstaret  meritis  invida  Romuli  ? 
Ereptum  Stygiis  fluctibus  Aeacum 
virtus  et  favor  et  lingua  potentium 


19.  lucratus:  enriched  by;  the 
word  is  intentionally  used  for  its 
commercial  connotation,  but  with- 
out the  unpleasant  connotation 
which  lucrum  has  3,  16,  12.  Scipio 
boasted  that  his  name  was  all  the 
profit  he  made  in  Africa.  Val. 
Max.  3,  8.  I  ctim  Africatn  totam 
potestati  vestrae  subiecerim,  nihil 
ex  ea  quod  meuin  diceretur  praeter 
cognomen  rettuli. 

20  f.  Calabrae  Pierides  :  i.e. 
the  poetry  of  Ennius  whose  birth- 
place was  Rudiae  in  Calabria. 
He  celebrated  Scipio's  deeds  in 
his  Annales  as  well  as  in  a  special 
poem.  —  chartae  :  books,  papyrus 
rolls.  —  sileant :  transitive. 

22  ff.  quid  foret,  etc. :  without 
song  men's  deeds  die  with  them. 
Cf.  Pind.  O.  10,  91  ff.  Kai  oTa.v 
KoXa  ep^ais  dotSos  arep  ' KyrjaihafX 
el<i  'AiSa  (TTaO/xov  \  avrjp  iKrjTai, 
Kcvea  TTvevcrais  liropt  /xd^^w  /3pa^v 
Ti  T(.p  I  TTVOV .  t\v  8'  d8vi€7n;s  TC  Xvpa 
1  yXr/cvs  T  avXo<i  ava-jraaau  ^a/atv. 
I  Tpicf>ovTL  8'  tvpv  kXcos  |  Kopai 
ITiepiSes  Aids.  '  Even  so,  Ageside- 
mus,  when  a  man  hath  done  noble 


deeds  and  goeth  unsung  to  the 
house  of  Hades,  his  breath  hath 
been  spent  in  vain  and  he  hath 
gained  but  brief  delight  by  his 
toil.  But  on  thee  the  sweet-toned 
lyre  and  pleasant  pipe  shed  their 
grace ;  and  the  Pierian  daugh- 
ters of  Zeus  foster  thy  widespread 
fame,'  also  Ovid  to  Germanicus, 
Ex  Pont.  4,  8,  31  ff.  nee  tibi  de 
Pario  statuam,  Gervianice,  tern- 
plum  marmore  .  .  .  Naso  snis 
opibiis,  carmine,  grains  erit  .  .  . 
carmine  fit  vivax  virtus  expersque 
sepulchri  notitiam  serae  posteri- 
tatis  habet  .  .  .  guis  Thebas  sep- 
temque  duces  sine  carmine  nossct. 
et  quidquid  post  haec,  quidquid  it 
ante  f nil? 

—  Iliae:  cf.  i,  2,  17  and  n.— 
Mavortis :  Mavors  is  an  archaic 
name  of  Mars  preserved  in  ritual 
and  adopted  by  poets. — invida: 
cf.  4,  5,  9,  and  4,  9,  33  lividas  ob- 
liviones. 

25   f.    Aeacum:    cf.   2,   13,   22. 
Pindar  celebrates  him  in  /.  i.  8- 
—  virtus :  his  excellence.  —  favor . 
popular  acclaim.  —  potentium  va- 
364 


CARMINA  [4,  9 

vatum  divitibus  consecrat  insulis. 
Dignum  laude  virum  Musa  vetat  mori ; 
caelo  Musa  beat.     Sic  lovis  interest 
30  optatis  epulis  impiger  Hercules, 

clarum  Tyndaridae  sidus  ab  infimis 
quassas  eripiunt  aequoribus  ratis, 
ornatus  viridi  tempora  pampino 
Liber  vota  bonos  ducit  ad  exitus. 

turn:  i.e.   able  to  confer    immor-  poets  did  not  make  them  known  to 

tality.  — divitibus  .  .  .  insulis:  cf.  men.     Cf.  Ovid.  Ex  Pont.  4,  8,  55 

Epod.  16,  42  and  n.     The  case  is  di  quoqtie  car  minibus.,  si  fas  est 

loc.  abl.     Intr.  95.  dicere,  fiiint.,  \  tantaque  viaiestas 

29  ff.    '  Song  confers  not  simply  ore  canentis  eget. 

immortality ;     it     actually     raises  30.   optatis  :  for  which  he  had 

mortals  to  the  rank  of  gods.'    Hor-  longed. 

ace  makes  no  distinction  between  31.    clarum  .  .   .  sidus:  in  ap- 

mere  subjective  immortality,  which  position  with  Tyndaridae:  cf.  n. 

can  be  given  by  poetry,  and  an  to  i,  3,  2. 

actual  existence  after  death.     Cf.  33.   ornatus:  middle  participle. 

3,3,9ff.  —  sic  :  z>.  by  song.    Even  Intr.  84.      The  remainder  of  the 

le  gods  would   be  unknown,  if  verse  repeats  3,  25,  20. 


IThe  first  half  of  this  ode  continues  the  theme  of  the  preceding  but 
with  a  somewhat  different  turn.  The  remainder  is  in  praise  of  M. 
Lollius. 

'  Do  not  despise  my  lyric  Muse.  Though  Homer  with  his  epic  verse 
holds  the  supreme  place,  the  verses  of  the  lyric  bards  of  Greece  are  not 
thereby  obscured.  Homer's  Helen  was  not  the  first  to  love ;  nor  his 
Troy  the  only  city  vexed :  his  heroes  not  the  only  ones  to  fight  for 
wives  and  children  dear,  yet  the  others  are  unwept  because  unsung  (i- 
28).  My  verse  shall  save  thy  deeds  from  oblivion's  doom.  For  thou 
art  wise,  firm,  upright ;  not  consul  for  a  single  year,  but  victor,  ruler 
over  all  (29-44).  Truly  fortunate  is  that  man  who  wisely  uses  what 
the  gods  bestow,  fears  not  small  estate,  and  does  not  shrink  from  death 
for  friend  or  native  land  (45-52).' 

365 


4,  9.  I]  HO  RATI 

The  M.  Lollius  addressed  was  consul  21  B.C.;  in  16  B.C.  he  was 
defeated  by  the  Sygambri  while  governor  of  Belgian  Gaul.  In  2  b.c. 
he  was  appointed  governor  of  Syria  and  adviser  and  tutor  of  the  young 
Gaius  Caesar,  who  was  then  on  a  mission  to  Armenia.  He  died  sud- 
denly, gossip  said  by  suicide,  in  the  following  year.'  Horace's  ode  was 
probably  written  soon  after  Lollius'  defeat  in  16  B.C.,  as  an  apology  for 
his  friend.     Strangely  enough  the  very  virtues  attributed  to  him  here 

—  honesty  and  rectitude  — are  the  ones  denied  him  by  Velleius  (2,  97 ; 
of.  Plin.  N.  H.  9,  58),  who  charges  him  with  avarice  and  venality  in 
the  East.  Which  account  is  nearer  the  truth  we  cannot  determine. 
Metre,  68. 

Ne  forte  credas  interitura  quae 

longe  sonantem  natus  ad  Aufidum 

non  ante  volgatas  per  artis 

verba  loquor  socianda  chordis  : 

5  non,  si  priores  Maeonius  tenet 

sedes  Homerus,  Pindaricae  latent 
Ceaeque  et  Alcaei  minaces 
Stesichorique  graves  camenae, 

iff.    ne  .  .  .  credas:  not  pro-  ante>n  carmitia  nervis.  —  loquor: 

hibitive,  but  giving  the  purpose  of  of  the  poet,  in  place  of  the  more 

the  statements  in  the  two  follow-  common  dico.     Cf.  3,  25,  18;  4, 

ing  strophes.    Cf.  nn.  to  1,33,  i  :  2,  2,45. 

4,1.     TxiiQ.'^diX.^, '■  You  should  not  5-12.     In  spite  of  Homer's  pre- 

think  .  .  .  /or,''   etc.  —  longe   so-  eminence,  the  Greek   lyric  poets 

nantem:  with  this  epithet  of  the  are  not  unknown. 

Aufidus,   cf.  violens  3,  30,   10. —  5  ff.    Maeonius:   cf.   i,  6,   2. — 

natus  ad   Aufidum :    said   with   a  Pindaricae    (camenae)  :   described 

certain  pride,  *I,  a  rustic   born.'  4,2,5-24.  —  latent:  are  not  hid. 

—  non  ante  volgatas  :  cf.  his  more  — Ceae  :  of  Simonides  ;  cf.  2.  i, 
sweeping  claim  3.30,  13.  —  verba  38.  —  minaces:  i.e.  in  his  poems 
.  .  .  socianda  chordis :  i.e.  lyric  against  the  tyrants  of  Mitylene. 
poetry  distinguished  from  epic,  Cf  n.  to  i,  32,  5;  2,  13,  30  ff. — 
which  was  recited,  not  sung  to  the  Stesichori :  a  poet  of  Himera  in 
accompaniment  of  the  lyre.  With  Sicily  (ca.  640-555  B.C.),  who 
the  expression,  cf.  Ovid.  Met.  11.  treated  heroic  myths  in  lyric  form. 
\cermint  Orphea  percussis  soci-  Quintilian  10,  i,  62,  characterizes 

366 


CARMINA 


[4,  9,  16 


nec,  si  quid  olim  lusit  Anacreon, 

delevit  aetas  ;  spirat  adhuc  amor 

vivuntque  commissi  calores 

Aeoliae  fidibus  puellae. 

Non  sola  comptos  arsit  adulter! 
crinis  et  aurum  vestibus  inlitum 
mirata  regalisque  cultus 

et  comites  Helene  Lacaena, 


him  thus :  Stesichoriis  qiiam  sit 
ingenio  validns  materiae  qiioque 
ostendunt,  maxima  bella  et  cla- 
rissimos  canentem  duces  et  epici 
car  minis  oner  a  lyra  sustifientem . 
The  last  clause  explains  Horace's 
adjective  graves. 

9.  lusit :  of  light  themes,  in 
contrast  to  the  seriousness  of  Stesi- 
chorus  and  the  passion  of  Sappho. 
With  this  use  of  the  word,  cf.  i,  32, 
2.  —  Anacreon:  a  native  of  Teos, 
who  flourished  in  the  second  half 
of  the  sixth  century  B.C.  He  re- 
sided at  the  court  of  Polycrates, 
tyrant  of  Samos,  and  later  at  that 
of  Hipparchus  in  Athens.  The 
extant  collection  of  poems  called 
Anacreoiitea  are,  however,  of 
Alexandrian  origin. 

10  ff.  spirat  .  .  .  vivunt  :  cf. 
n.  to  4,  8,  14.  —  commissi  :  with 
amor  and  calores  alike.  The  se- 
crets of  her  love  she  intrusted  to 
her  lyre.  Cf.  S.  2.  i,  30  il/e  (Lu- 
ciliiis)  velut  fidis  arcana  sodali- 
busolim  I  credebat  libris.  — Aeoliae : 
cf.  2,  13,  24  and  n. 

13  ff.    Horace  now  takes  up  the 


I 


more  general  aspect  of  his  theme. 
All  his  illustrations  are  from 
Homer.  Notice  the  variety  of  ex- 
pression and  the  cadence  of  the 
rhythm. — comptos  .  .  .  crines : 
smooth  locks ;  the  common  object 
of  arsit,  blazed  with  lovers  Jire.  and 
mirata,  looked  on  with  wondering 
admiration.  The  latter  continues 
with  the  three  following  accusa- 
tives, while  arsit  is  forgotten. 
With  this  description  of  Paris,  cf. 
I,  15,  13  flf.  and  n.  —  inlitum: 
'  smeared  on,'  the  word  is  chosen 
to  emphasize  the  barbaric  magnifi- 
cence of  Paris  and  his  train.  — 
cultus:  dress;  cf.  i,  8,  16.  —  La- 
caena :  the  epithet  is  added  in  the 
epic  fashion.  Horace  found  models 
in  the  Greek  writers  for  this  ac- 
count of  the  effect  produced  on 
Helen's  mind  by  the  appearance 
of  Paris.  Cf.  e.g.  Eurip.  Troad. 
991  f.  ov  elaiSovaa  '  ^apjiapoLS 
iaOy/xaai.  |  )(pvaw  re  Xafxirpbv  i^e- 
fjuapywd-q^  <f>peva^.  '  At  sight  of 
whom,  brilliant  in  his  barbarian 
dress  and  gold,  thou  lost  thy 
senses.' 


367 


4,  9,  »7] 


HORATI 


25 


primusve  Teucer  tela  Cydonio 
direxit  arcu ;  non  semel  Ilios 
vexata  ;  non  pugnavit  ingens 
Idomeneus  Sthenelusve  solus 

dicenda  Musis  proelia ;  non  ferox 
Hector  vel  acer  Deiphobus  gravis 
excepit  ictus  pro  pudicis 

coniugibus  puerisque  primus. 

Vixere  fortes  ante  Agamemnona 
multi ;  sed  omnes  inlacrimabiles 
urgentur  ignotique  longa 

nocte,  carent  quia  vate  sacro. 


17  f.  primusve  :  the  negative 
continues.  —  Teucer:  cf.  i,  7,  21. 
According  to  //.  13,  313  he  was 
the  best  bowman  among  the 
Greeks.  —  Cydonio:  i.e.  Cretan. 
Cydonia  was  a  town  in  Crete  ;  cf. 
1,15,17. — Ilios:  an  Ilium.  The 
siege  of  Troy  is  taken  as  typical 
of  great  sieges. 

20.  Idomeneus :  captain  of  the 
Cretans.  —  Sthenelus  :  cf.  i,  15, 
24  and  n. 

21  ff.  dicenda  Musis  proelia : 
cf.  4,  4,  68.  —  non:  with  primus. 
—  Hector,  Deiphobus :  two  exam- 
ples chosen  from  the  Trojan  side. 

25.  vixere  fortes,  etc. :  often 
quoted.  The  line  sums  up  all 
that  has  gone  before. 

26  ff .  inlacrimabiles  :  passive ; 
cf.  2,  14,  6.  Translate,  atid  none 
can  weep  for  them.  —  urgentur . . . 
longa  nocte :   cf.    i .   24.   5  f.    ergo 


Quintiliinn  perpetuus  sopor  \  urget  I 
—  vate  sacro  :  because  consecrated 
to  the  service  of  the  Muses  ;  cf.  3, 
1 , 3  f.  Musarumsacerdos\virginii>us 
puerisque  canto.  With  the  preced- 
ing, cf.  Find.  N.7,12  f.  Tax  /xeydXai 
yap  oXkoI  I  (TKOTOv  ttoXvv  v/xvwv 
€xovTi  Seofievai.  \  Ipyois  8c  KaAois 
(.crcmTpov  Kra/xcv  evi  avv  Tpoirw,  \  tt 
Mva/xocrwas  «art  XnrapdfxirvKO'i  \ 
cvp-qrai  airoiva  p,6x0u)v,  KAvrats 
i-n-ewv  doiSais.  '  For  mighty  feats 
of  strength  suffer  deep  darkness 
if  they  lack  song ;  yet  for  glorious 
actions  we  know  a  mirror  in  ont 
single  way,  if  by  the  favor  of  Mne- 
mosyne of  the  shining  fillet  a  man 
find  recompense  for  toil  through 
glorifying  strains  of  verse.'  Also 
Boeth.  Pki/.  Cons.  2,  7  sed  quain 
multos  clarissimos  suis  temporibus 
viros  scriptorimi  inops  delevit 
opinio. 


368 


CARMINA 


[4.  9.  40 


30 


35 


40 


Paulum  sepultae  distat  inertiae 
celata  virtus.     Non  ego  te  meis 
chartis  inornatum  silebo 
totve  tuos  patiar  labores 

impune,  Lolli,  carpere  lividas 
obliviones.     Est  animus  tibi 
rerumque  prudens  et  secundis 
temporibus  dubiisque  rectus, 

vindex  avarae  fraudis  et  abstinens 
ducentis  ad  se  cuncta  pecuniae, 
consulque  non  unius  anni, 

sed  quotiens  bonus  atque  fidus 


29  f.  'The  hero,  if  posterity 
does  not  know  his  bravery,  has 
but  little  advantage  over  the  cow- 
ard.' Thus  Horace  sums  up  the 
force  of  the  preceding  illustrations 
and  passes  on  to  assure  LoUius  that 
his  excellence  shall  not  go  unsung. 
With  the  sentiment,  cf.  Claudian. 
Cons.  Hon.  4,  225  f.  vile  latens  vir- 
tus, quid  enitn  submersa  tenebris 
I  proderit  obscuris  ? 

30  ff.   non  ego  te  :  cf.  i,  18,  11. 

—  chartis  :    cf .  n.  to  4,  8,  21.  — 
inornatum :    proleptic.  —  labores  : 

hy  toils  and  struggles. 

33  ff.  impune :  i.e.  without  an 
offort  to  prevent.  —  carpere  :  to 
prey ;  suggesting  Envy's  biting 
tooth.  —  lividas:   malicious;  cf.  4. 

8,  23. —  est  animus:   cf.  Verg.  A. 

9,  205  est  animus  lucis  contemptor. 

—  rerum  prudens :  wise  in  affairs 
(through  experience).     Cf.  Verg. 

HOR.  CAR.  —  24  369 


G.  I,  416  ingenium  ('natural  en- 
dowment ')  atit  rerum  prudentia. 
—  secundis  temporibus  dubiisque  : 
some  see  here  a  reference  to  Lol- 
lius'  defeat  in  16  B.C. — rectus: 
steadfast. 

37  f .  vindex,  etc. :  i.e.  ready  to 
punish  cupidity  in  others  and  him- 
self free  from  that  sin .  —  abstinens 
pecimiae :  for  the  genitive,  cf. 
sceleris  purus  i,  22,  i.  Also  3, 
27,  69  f.     Cf.  Intr.  94. 

39  f .  consul :  in  a  figurative 
sense,  suggested  by  the  Stoic  tenet 
that  only  the  wise,  sapiens,  is  the 
true  consul  or  king.  Cf.  n.  to  3,  2, 
17.  Superiority  to  the  tempta- 
tions of  ordinary  men  makes  a 
man  supreme  not  for  a  single  year, 
but  so  long  as  he  maintains  his 
integrity.  There  is  a  certain  con- 
fusion here  and  in  the  following 
lines,  as  Horace  seems  to  shift  his 


4,  9,  4']  HORATI 

iudex  honestum  praetiilit  utili, 
reiecit  alto  dona  nocentium 
voltu,  per  obstantis  catervas 
explicuit  sua  victor  arma. 

45  Non  possidentem  multa  vocaveris 

recte  beatum  ;  rectius  occupat 
nomen  beati,  qui  deorum 
muneribus  sapienter  uti 

duramque  callet  pauperiem  pati 
50  peiusque  leto  flagitium  timet, 

non  ille  pro  caris  amicis 
aut  patria  timidus  perire. 

thought  from  animus  with  which  the   nocenthcm.  —  explicuit  :   has 

vindex,  consul,  and  iudex  are  in  carried,  etc. 

apposition,  to  Lollius,  the  posses-  45  ff.     The   ideal   man.  —  non 

sor   of  this    incorruptible    spirit.  possidentem  multa,  etc. :  it  is  not 

In  translation  we  follow  this  shift.  the  man  who,  etc.     Cf.  2,  2,  17  ft'. 

whenever  as  a  judge  he,  &\.z.  — recte  .  .   .  rectius:    Intr.  28  c. 

41.    honestum:  to koXov, virtue.  — occupat:  claims  as  his  own. — 

—  utili:  TO  (TvfKJiepov.  expediency.  qui  deonmi,  etc. :  cf.  Claudian.  in 
42  ff.    reiecit  :    following  quOr  Rnf.  i,  215  f.  natiira  beatis  otnni- 

tiens  by  asyndeton.  —  nocentium :  bus  esse  dedit,  siqiiis  cognoverit  Jiti . 

the  wicked. — per  obstantis.  etc.:  49  f-    callet:  ci.  callidus  i,  10, 

Porphyrio's  explanation  of  this  as  7.  —  pauperiem    pati  :    repeated 

an  apodosis  to  quotiens  .  .  .  prae-  from  i,  i,  18.  —  peius :  cf.  Epist . 

tulit,  reiecit,  seems  the  simplest.  \,  \y,  2,0  cane  peius  et  angue  vitabit 

—  catervas:    i.e.    of    those   who  chlamydetn.  —  non  ille  :  cf.  3, 21,  9. 
would  block  his  righteous  course,  52.    timidus  perire  :     Intr.  loS. 

10 

The  following  four  odes  treat  of  love  and  good  cheer  in  contrast  tn 
the  serious  tone  of  most  of  the  other  odes  of  the  book. 

These  eight  verses  addressed  to  a  beautiful  boy,  Ligurinus  (4,  i?  33)- 
warn  him  that  beauty  fades  and  soon  he  will  repent  his  present  haughti- 
ness. The  subject  may  have  been  suggested  to  Horace  by  certain 
Greek  epigrams.     Cf.  Anth.  Pal.  12,  35.  186.     Metre,  54- 

370 


CARMIXA  [4,  II 

O  crudelis  adhuc  et  Veneris  muneribus  potens, 
insperata  tuae  cum  veniet  pluma  superbiae 
et  quae  nunc  umeris  involitant  deciderint  comae, 
nunc  et  qui  color  est  puniceae  flore  prior  rosae 
5        mutatus,  Ligurine,  in  faciem  verterit  hispidam, 
dices  '  Heu,'  quotiens  te  speculo  videris  alterum, 
'  quae  mens  est  hodie,  cur  eadem  non  puero  f uit, 
vel  cur  his  animis  incolumes  non  redeunt  genae  ? ' 

I  fE.   Cf.  Theoc.  23,  33  f.  ^^«i  4  f.   flore  .  .  .  rosae :  cf.  3.  29, 

/catpos  eKeivos,  oTravtKa  koL  tv  <^iAa-  3. —  verterit :    intransitive.  —  his- 

(Tcis,   I  dvtKa  Tav    «paStav   otttcv-  pidam :  /.<?.  with  thy  new  beard, 

^evos   aXfxvpa  KXava-€i<i. —  Veneris  6  ff.    speculo  :  instrumental  ab- 

muneribus:  cf. //.  3.  54  f-  ovk  dv  lative. — alterum:    'changed  into 

Toi   xP^'-^f^XI    '^'^o^P^    TO.   re    hoip  another    self.'       Cf.    Anth.    Pal. 

'A</)po8tT7;s,  I  Tj  re  /co/at;  to  re  etSos,  11,  J  J   rjv  K  iOeXr]<;  to  Trpocrwirov 

oT  iv  KovtrjaL  /xiyet?;;.  —  insperata  :  tSciv    cs    iaoTrrpov   iavTOv    \    '  ovk 

predicate    with   veniet,    U7iexpect-  dpi  ^TparocfiSiv.^  avros  €pets  6/x6- 

edly.  —  pluma :  down  (of  thy  first  (ja<i.      '  But   if  thou  wilt  look  at 

beard),    not   found    elsewhere    in  thy  face  in  the  mirror,  thou  wilt 

this  sense.  —  deciderint  comae : /.^.  say  on  thy  oath,  ••  1  am  not  Stra- 

as  a  sign  of  man's  estate.  tophon."' 


I  I 

An  invitation  to  Phyllis  to  join  in  celebrating  the  birthday  of  Mae- 
cenas. 

'  Come.  Phyllis,  here  is  pleif^y.  and  my  house  is  all  abustle  with  our 
preparations  (1-12).  We  must  keep  the  birthday  of  Maecenas,  dearer 
to  me  almost  than  my  own  (13-20).  Telephus  is  not  for  thee,  but  for 
a  maid  of  richer  station.  Remember  it  was  ambition  that  brought  low 
Phaethon  and  Bellerophon.  Come  then,  last  of  my  flames,  and  learn  a 
song  to  lessen  thy  love  cares  (21-36).'' 

In  theme  and  treatment  this  ode  is  not  unlike  3,  28.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  note  that  it  contains  the  only  reference  to  Maecenas  in  this  book, 
which  is  so  largely  devoted  to  the  praise  of  Augustus  and  his  stepsons ; 
but  the  warmth  of  vv.  17-20  shows  that  no  shadow  had  fallen  on  the 
friendship  between  Horace  and  his  patron.  The  year  of  composition  is 
unknown.     Metre,  69. 

371 


4.  ".  0 


HORATI 


Est  mihi  nonum  superantis  annum 
planus  Albani  cadus  ;  est  in  horto, 
Phylli,  nectendis  apium  coronis ; 
est  hederae  vis 

multa,  qua  crinis  religata  f ulges ; 
ridet  argento  domus  ;  ara  castis 
vincta  verbenis  avet  immolato 
spargier  agno ; 

cuncta  festinat  manus,  hue  et  illuc 
cursitant  mixtac  pueris  puellae ; 
sordidum  flammae  trepidant  rotantes 
vertice  fumum. 


I  ff.  est:  the  triple  anaphora 
shows  the  poet's  earnestness  — 
'yes,  everything  we  need  is  here 
in  abundance.'  Cf.  Theoc.  1 1 
45  fT.  ivTL  Ba.<f)vaL  rrjvei,  ivTi  paSivat 
KVTrapLcraoL,  \  (.cm  fxeXas  Ktcrtrds,  ccrr' 
a/XTrcXos  a  y\vKVKapTro<;,  \  1(ttl  ij/v- 
Xpov  vB(x)p.  '  There  are  laurels 
thereby,  there  are  slender  cy- 
presses, there  is  dark  ivy,  and  the 
vine  with  its  sweet  clusters,  there 
is  cool  water.'  —  Albani :  in  quality 
next  after  the  Caecuban  and  Fa- 
lernian,  according  to  Pliny  JV.  H. 
14,  64.  —  nectendis  .  .  .  coronis: 
dative  of  purpose.  —  apium :  cf.  i, 
36,  16;  2,  7,  24. 

4.   vis :  supply,  copia. 

5  ff.  religata :  middle ;  cf.  2, 
II,  24.  —  fulges  :  gnomic  pres- 
ent ;  somewhat  stronger  in  mean- 
ing than  the  common  niteo,  i,  5, 
13.  —  ridet:    cf.    Hesiod.    Theog. 


40  ycA-a  8e  T€  8(x)[JuiTa  Trarpd?.  The 
silver  has  been  polished  up  for 
the  occasion.  Cf.  Juvenal's  de- 
scription of  preparations  for  guests 
14,  59  ff.  hospite  venturo  cessabit 
nemo  iuorian  ;  \  *  Verre  pavimen- 
tiim,  nitidas  ostende  columnas,  \ 
arida  aim  tola  descendat  aranea 
tela;  \  hie  leve  argentum,  vasa 
aspera  tergeat  alter '  |  vox  domini 
fur  it.  —  ara  .  .  .  vincta,  etc. :  cf. 
I,  .1^,  13  f.  and  nn. 

—  avet:  used  only  here  in  the 
lyric  poems  and  the  Epistles.  — 
spargier :  the  archaic  passive  pres. 
inf.  is  not  found  elsewhere  in  the 
lyrics,  but  is  employed  five  times 
in  the  Satires  and  Epistles. 

9  ff.  manus  :  the  hoiisehold,  fa- 
milia.  —  puellae  :  rare  in  this 
meaning  oi  famulae.  —  sordidum  : 
murky,  smoky.  — -trepidant :  quiver: 
cf.  2,  3,  II  ;  3,27,  17.     The  word 


372 


CARMINA 


[4.  11.24 


IS 


Vt  tamen  noris  quibus  advoceris 
gaudiis,  Idus  tibi  sunt  agendae, 
qui  dies  mensem  Veneris  marinae 
findit  Aprilem, 

lure  sollemnis  mihi  sanctiorque 
paene  natali  proprio,  quod  ex  hac 
luce  Maecenas  meus  adfluentis 
ordinat  annos. 


Telephum,  quern  tu  petis,  occupavit 
non  tuae  sortis  iuvenem  puella 
dives  et  lasciva,  tenetque  grata 
compede  vinctum. 


has  a  certain  personifying  force 
like  avet  above,  and  pictures  the 
fire  as  sharing  in  the  excitement 
of  preparation.  —  vertice  :  i.e.  'in 
eddying  column.' 

13  f.  ut  noris :  the  purpose  of 
the  explanation  Idus  tibi,  etc.  Cf. 
4,  9,  I  ff.  and  n. 

15  f.  Veneris  marinae:  cf.  i, 
4,  5  ;  3,  26,  5.  In  explanation  of 
the  fact  that  April  was  sacred  to 
Venus,  it  was  said  that  in  this 
month  the  goddess  {'Acj^poSLTrj 
dvaBvo/Jievr))  was  born  from  the 
sea,  and  in  fact  the  name  Aprilis 
was  falsely  derived  from  d<^pds, 
sea-foam.'  —  findit:  hinting  at 
the  derivation  of  idus  from  the 
Etruscan  idttare.  to  divide  (Ma- 
crob.  I.  15.  17). 

1 7 .  sollemnis  :  festal.  —  sanc- 
tiof :  cf.  Tib.  4,  5,  if.  qui  7inhi  te, 
Cerinihe.  dies  dedit^  hie  mihi  sanc- 


tus  I  atque  inter  festos  semper 
habendus  erit.  Also  luv.  12,  i  ff . 
natali,  Corvine,  die  mihi  dnlcior 
haec  lux,  \  qua  festus  promissa 
deis  anitnalia  caespes  \  expect  at. 

ig  f.  luce:  cf.  4,  6,  42.  —  ad- 
fluentis .  .  .  annos :  the  years  in 
their  onward  flow.  The  phrase 
does  not  necessarily  imply  that 
Maecenas  was  already  old.  —  ordi- 
nat :  reckons,  adds  to  the  tale  of 
those  already  passed. 

21  ff.  '  Do  not  let  your  love  for 
Telephus  delay  you,  he  is  not  for 
thee.'  —  Telephum  :  the  name  is 
found  I,  13,  if.;  3,  19,  26. — 
petis :  frequent  in  this  sense ;  cf. 
^1  33'  '3-  —  occupavit:  cf.  i,  14, 
2  and  n .  —  sortis  :  station .  —  las- 
civa :  coquettish.  —  tenet  grata 
compede:  cf.  i,  33,  14.  —  Also 
Tibul.  I,  I,  55  me  retinent  vinc- 
tum formosae  vincla  puellae. 


373 


4,  11,25] 


HORATl 


25 


30 


35 


Terret  ambustus  Phaethon  avaras 
spes,  et  exemplum  grave  praebet  ales 
Pegasus  terrenum  equitem  gravatus 
Bellerophontem, 

semper  ut  te  digna  sequare  et  ultra 
quam  licet  sperare  nefas  putando 
disparem  vites.     Age  iam,  meorum 
finis  amorum, 

(non  enim  posthac  alia  calebo 
femina,)  condisce  modos,  amanda 
voce  quos  reddas  ;  minuentur  atrae 
carmine  curae. 


25  ff.  terret :  cf.  the  position  of 
inonet  I,  18,  8. — ambustus  Phae- 
thon :  cf.  2.  4,  10  ademptus  Hector. 
—  ales:  winged;  cf.  i,  2,  42.  — 
terrenum :  earth-born^  and  hence 
unfit  for  the  heavens  to  which  he 
attempted  to  fly  on  Pegasus.  —  gra- 
vatus :  transitive.  —  Bellerophon- 
tem :  used  by  Pindar  /.  6,  44  ff. 
and  later  writers  as  an  example  of 
the  punishment  which  falls  on 
overvaulting  ambition. 

29  ff.  ut  sequare,  etc.  :  follow- 
ing on  exemplum.  —  te  :  with 
digna.  —  putando  :  the  ablative  of 
the  gerund  here  approaches  the 
meaning  of  the  present  participle. 


—  disparem  :  euphemistic  in  place 
of  superiorein. — age  iam.  etc.: 
'come,  do  not  waste  thought  on 
what  is  hopeless.' 

32.  finis  amorum :  Horace  never 
loved  very  deeply  and  could  not 
declare  with  Propertius  i,  12,  19  f. 
mi  neque  amare  aliam  neque  ab 
liac  discedere  fas  est ;  \  Cynthia 
prima  f  nit.,  Cynthia  finis  erit. 

33  ff.  calebo  :  cf.  1,4,  19.  — 
condisce :  i.e.  under  my  teaching. 

—  reddas:  cf.  n.  to  4,  6,  43. — 
minuentur,  etc. :  cf.  the  prescrip- 
tion Nemesian.  4,  19  cantet  ainat 
quod  quisque :  le^iant  et  carmina 
curas. 


12 


/ 


On  the  return  of  Spring.  '  The  breezes  of  the  Spring  are- here  again  : 
the  mourning  swallow  builds  her  nest ;  the  shepherds  pipe  their  songs 
once  more  (1-12).     It  is  the  thirsty  sea.son.  Vergil.     If  thou  wouldst 

374 


CARMINA  [4,  12,  6 

drink  a  cup  of  choice  wine  at  my  house,  bring  a  box  of  precious  nard 
with  thee.     Let  go  thy  cares  and  give  thyself  up  to  our  revel  (13-28).'' 

This  is  the  third  of  Horace's  poems  on  this  theme ;  but  whereas  in 
the  others  (i,  4  and  4,  7)  he  employs  the  changes  of  the  year  to 
remind  us  of  the  fleeting  character  of  life,  here  he  gives  the  matter  a 
more  cheerful  turn  with  only  a  glance  (v.  26)  at  the  gloomy  world 
below.  The  invitation  is  not  unlike  that  of  Catullus  (C.  13)  to  his 
friend  Fabullus  to  dine  with  him  and  provide  all  the  entertainment  save 
the  unguent  only. 

The  Vergil  addressed  cannot  be  the  poet,  who  died  in  19  B.C. ;  but 
we  know  nothing  more  of  him  than  the  ode  tells  us.  Some  critics 
think  that  the  similarity  of  v.  21  to  v.  13  f.  of  the  preceding  ode  shows 
that  they  were  written  at  about  the  same  time.     Metre,  72. 

lam  veris  comites,  quae  mare  temperant, 
impellunt  animae  lintea  Thraciae ; 
iam  nee  prata  rigent  nee  fluvii  strepunt 
hiberna  nive  turgidi. 

5  Nidiim  ponit,  Ityn  flebiliter  gemens, 

infelix  avis  et  CecTopiae  domus 

if.    Ci.Me\ea.ger  Ani/i.  Pa/,  g,  and   Tereus.      The   mother  slew 

363,  9  f.  rjSrj  Se  ttXwovo-lv  in  evpea  her  son  and  served  him  up  at  table 

KvfjuxTa   vavraL  |  Trvoiy    aTrr^/xavTw  to  his  father  to  avenge  the  latter's 

Zf.(fyvpov  Atm  KoATTwo-avre?.  —  veris  outrage  of  Philomela,  Procne's  sis- 

comites  :    in  apposition  with  ani-  ter.     When  Tereus  discovered  the 

mae  .  .  .  Thraciae.  —  temperant :  horrible  deceit  that  had  been  prac- 

qiiiet :  cf.  3,  19,  6.  —  animae  :  only  ticed    on    him,   he   and    the    two 

here   in    Horace   for   venti.      Cf.  sisters  were   changed  into  birds ; 

Vergil  A.  8, 403  quantum  ignes  ani-  Procne    became    a    swallow,    and 

/naequevalent.  —  Thraciae:  appar-  Philomela  a   nightingale,   accord- 

ently  the  Zephyrus.     The  epithet  ing  to  the  form  of  the  myth  which 

is    purely    conventional,    adopted  Horace  seems  to  follow  here.    The 

from  Homer.     Some  editors  take  swallow  is  the  proverbial  messen- 

it   to  be   the    north  winds.      Cf.  ger   of  spring  with    both  Greeks 

Colum.  11,2  venti  sept entrionales,  and  Romans,  so  there  seems  little 

qui  vocantur  Ornitheae,  per  dies  doubt  that  this  bird  is  meant  by 

XXX   {i.e.  from  about  Feb.  20)  infelix  avis. — flebiliter : ///^(?;/.y/K. 

esse  Solent,  turn  et  hirnndoadvenit.  6  ff.   Cecropiae  :  Procne  was  the 

5.    Ityn :    the   son    of   Procne  daughter    of    Pandion,    king     of 

375 


4,  12,  7] 


HORATI 


IS 


aeternum  opprobrium,  quod  male  barbaras 
regum  est  ulta  libidines. 

Dicunt  in  tenero  gramine  pinguium 
custodes  ovium  carmina  fistula 
delectantque  deum  cui  pecus  et  nigri 
colles  Arcadiae  placent. 

Adduxere  sitim  tempora,  Vergili ; 
sed  pressum  Calibus  ducere  Liberum 
si  gestis,  iuvenum  nobilium  cliens, 
nardo  vina  merebere. 

Nardi  parvus  onyx  eliciet  cadum, 
qui  nunc  Sulpiciis  accubat  horreis, 
spes  donare  novas  largus  amaraque 
curarum  eluere  efficax. 


Athens.  —  male:  with  ulta,  took 
an  unnatural  revenge  on,  etc.  — 
regum:  generalizing  plural,  as  vir- 
ginum  3,  27,  38. 

9  ff.  dicunt:  cf.  i,  6,  5. — te- 
nero: as  it  is  early  spring. — fis- 
tula: instrumental  abl. ;  cf.  3,  4, 
I  f.  die  age  ttbia  .  .  .  longuni  melos. 

—  deum:  Pan,  the  Arcadian  god. 

—  nigri  colles  :  cf.  i,  21,  7  nigris 
EryinanHii  silvis. 

14  ff.  pressum  Calibus;  cf.  i, 
20,  9  and  n. — ducere:  quaff;  i, 
17,  22.  —  iuvenum  nobilium  cliens  : 
who  the  vruenes  nobiles  were  we 
have  no  means  of  knowing ;  but 
the  purpose  of  introducing  this 
phrase  is  to  imply,  '  At  the  tables 
of  your  noble  patrons  you  are  en- 
tertained scot-free,  but  at  mine 
you  must  pay.'  —  nardo:  cf.  n.  to 
2,   II,   16. — vina:  plural  as  4,  5, 


31  and  frequently.  —  merebere  : 
the  future  of  mild  command. 

17.  onyx  :  usually  masculine, 
as  here;  a  small  flask  to  hold 
ointment,  so  named  since  such 
receptacles  were  originally  made 
of  alabaster.  Cf.  St.  Mark  14,  3 
'As  he  sat  at  meat,  there  came 
a  woman  having  an  alabaster 
cruse  of  ointment  of  spikenard 
very  costly ;  and  she  brake  the  cruse 
and  poured  it  on  his  head.'  The 
adjective  parvus  emphasizes  the 
cost  of  the  ointment.  —  eliciet :  per- 
sonifying the  cadus;  cf.  3,  21,  i  ff. 

18  ff.  Sulpiciis  .  .  .  horreis : 
storehouses  on  the  river  at  the 
foot  of  the  Aventine.  —  donare  . .  . 
largus:  generotis  in  giving.  Intr. 
108. — amara  curarum:  cf.  2,  i, 
23  cuncta  t  err  arum.  —  eluere  ef- 
ficax :   Intr.  108. 


376 


CARMINA  [4,  13,  6 

Ad  quae  si  properas  gaudia,  cum  tua 
velox  merce  veni ;  non  ego  te  meis 
immunem  meditor  tinguere  poculis, 
plena  dives  ut  in  domo. 

25  Verum  pone  moras  et  studium  lucri, 

nigrorumque  memor,  dum  licet,  ignium 
misce  stultitiam  consiliis  brevem  : 
dulce  est  desipere  in  loco. 

21  ft.   properas :  art  eager,  not  only  here  in  the  lyrical  poems.  — 

of  physical  hurry.  —  merce  :/.<?.  the  nigrorum  :  cf.  i,  24,  18  and  n. — 

nard.  —  immunem:  the  Greek  dcrvju,-  misce  stultitiam,  etc.:  cf  Menan- 

jSoAov,  scot-free,  without  bringing  der's  precept  ov  iravra)(pv  ro  <f>p'>- 

your  share. — tinguere  :  colloquial ;  vi\x.ov   dpfioTTCi   Trapov,    Koi    avfx- 

cf.  Alcaeus  Frg.  39  reyye  Trvev/xova  fjMvrjvai  8'  Ivta  Set.  —  in  loco  :    on 

otvu).  —  plena . . .  domo  :  cf.  2, 1 2,  24.  occasion  ;  iv  Kaipw.    Cf.  Ter.  Adel- 

25  ff.   verum:  dropping  his  jo-  phi  i\(i pecuniamin  locd  neclegere 

cose  manner.     The  word  is  found  tndximwn  interdiimst  lucrum. 

In  mockery  to  a  faded  courtesan.  The  subject  of  the  ode  is  similar 
to  that  of  I,  25  and  3,  15.  This  Lyce  can  hardly  be  the  same  as  the 
Lyce  of  3.  10 ;  and  we  can  only  guess  how  much  of  the  ode  represents 
any  real  experience.     Metre,  7;^. 

Audivere,  Lyce,  di  mea  vota,  di 
audivere,  Lyce  :  fis  anus  ;  et  tamen 
vis  formosa  videri,  ^ 

ludisque  et  bibis  impudens 

S  et  cantu  tremulo  pota  Cupidinem 

lentum  sollicitas.     Ille  virentis  et 

I  f.  audivere  .  .  .  audivere:  — pota  :  cf.  3,  15,  16.  — lentum: 
exultant  repetition.  —  vota  :  i.e.  slow  in  coming,  unresponsive, 
devotiones ;  cf.  n.  to  2,  8,  6.  —  ille    virentis,    etc.  :    cf.    Aris- 

4  f .  ludis:  cf.  3,  15,  5. — tre-  taenet.  2,  i  aTrrjvOrjKOTL  aw/juiTi 
mulo:    with    old    age    and    wine.       ov   TrecfyvKe   TrpoaL^dvuv  6  'Epws  • 

377 


4.  13.  7] 


HORATI 


'5 


doctae  psallere  Chiae 

pulchris  excubat  in  genis  ; 

importunus  enim  transvolat  aridas 
quercLis  et  refugit  te  quia  luridi 
dentes,  te  quia  rugae 
turpant  et  capitis  nives  ; 

nee  Coae  referunt  iam  tibi  purpurae 
nee  cari  lapides  tempora  quae  semel 
notis  condita  fastis 
inclusit  volucris  dies. 

Quo  fugit  venus,  heu,  quove  color,  decens 
quo  motus  ?     Quid  babes  illius,  illius, 
quae  spirabat  amores, 
quae  me  surpuerat  mihi, 


8' 


V$€^ 


iSes 


ov  0  av  enavPcs  re  kul  cvwoes  r}, 
ivravda  Koi  ivi^dvu  Koi  fxivti. 
'  Love  is  not  wont  to  rest  upon 
a  form  from  which  the  flower 
of  beauty  has  already  fled ;  but 
where  fair  bloom  and  fragrance 
sweet  exist,  there  he  lights  and 
ever  stays.'  —  Chiae:  this  name 
is  found  on  inscriptions  of  freed- 
vvomen.  —  excubat :  keeps  vigil 
on. 

9  ff.  importunus :  riide,  ruth- 
less. —  aridas :  in  contrast  with 
virentis  v.  6.  Cf.  also  n.  on  snciis 
3.  27,  54.  —  quercus :  typical  of 
long  life.  — te  :  object  alike  of  re- 
fugit and  turpant,  as  the  repeated 
te  makes  clear.  —  capitis  nives  :  if 
this  metaphor  was  not  invented 
by  Horace,  it  certainly  is  not  much 
older.     Quintilian    8,   6,    17   con- 


demns the  figure  as  far  fetched : 
sunt  et  durae  {translationes),  id 
est  a  longing ua  similitttdine  ductae 
lit  capitis  nives.  To  us  it  is  com- 
mon as  snow  itself,  which  Romans 
saw  much  less  often. 

13  ff.  Coae :  the  famous  semi- 
transparent  silk  of  Cos  was  a  fav- 
orite stuff  with  women  of  Lyce's 
class.  —  notis  condita  fastis  :  i.e. 
'  your  years  are  safely  stored  away 
and  all  can  read  the  record ;  you 
cannot  hope  to  hide  them.'  —  volu- 
cris dies :  cf.  3,  28,  6  and  4.  7,  8 
rapit  hora  diem. 

18  ff.  illius,  illius :  of  her,  oj 
her;  partitive  with  quid. — spira- 
bat amores:  cf.  Epist.  2,  i,  166 
nam  spiral  tragicum  satis.  Intr. 
86.  —  surpuerat :  by  syncope  for 
the  common  stirripuerat . 


378 


CARMINA  [4,  14 

felix  post  Cinaram  notaque  et  artium 
gratarum  fades  ?     Sed  Cinarae  brevis 
annos  fata  dederunt, 
servatura  diu  parem 

25  cornicis  vetulae  temporibus  Lycen, 

possent  ut  iuvenes  visere  fervidi 
multo  non  sine  risu 

dilapsam  in  cineres  facem. 

21  f.    felix   post:    happy  and  26  ff.    fervidi:  youths  in  whom 

fortunate  next  to,  z\.c. — Cinaram:  the  fire  of  passion  burns  fiercely, 

cf.  4,   I,  4  and  n. — nota  :    with  contrasted  with  Lyce.  whose  fire 

facias,  a  vismi  known  (to  all).  —  has  become  ashes.  —  non  sine  :  cf. 

artium  gratarum  :  genitive  of  qual-  n.  to  1,23,3.  —  dilapsam:  crum- 

ity.  <Z{.\,\,\^centumpner artium.  bled;  cf.  Meleager  ^«M.  Pal.  12, 

24  f.    servatura:  almost  adver-  41,  i  f.  irvpavyr]^  TrptV  Trore.  vvv  8' 

sAtive,  yet  dound  to  keep.  —  parem:  T^8r]   SaAos  'AttoAXoSotos.     'Once 

proleptic,  to  fnatc/i . — cornicis  vetu-  bright   as  flame,  but  now  at  last 

lae:   cf  3,   17,  13  annosa  comix  a  burned-out   torch  is  Apollodo- 

and  n.  —  temporibus:  the  years.  tus.' 


14 

The  following  ode  is  written  ostensibly  to  celebrate  the  exploits  of 
Tiberius  in  his  campaign  of  15  B.C.  against  the  Tirolese  tribes.  (See 
intr.  n.  to  4,  4).  In  reality  the  greater  part  of  the  ode  is  occupied 
with  the  glorification  of  Augustus'  service  to  the  state. 

•  How  can  the  senate  and  the  people  honor  thee  enough  or  worthily 
transmit  thy  memory  to  posterity,  Augustus?  Under  thy  auspices 
Drusus  overcame  the  savage  Alpine  peoples,  and  Tiberius  drove  the 
Raeti  before  him,  even  as  Auster  drives  the  stormy  waters,  or  Aufidus 
pours  its  torrent  on  the  fertile  plain  (1-34).  It  was  on  the  day  of 
Alexandria's  fall  that  fortune  bestowed  this  new  honor  (35-40).  Thou 
art  recognized  as  lord  by  all  the  world,  the  peoples  of  the  farthest  West 
and  East,  the  South  and  North  alike  (41-52).' 

It  should  be  noted  that  while  Tiberius  was  only  alluded  to  in  the 
fourth  ode,  here  Drusus  is  distinctly  mentioned,  although  Tiberius  is 
given  the  greater  prominence.     This  partiality  toward  the  younger  of 

379 


4,  14,  I]  HORATI 

the  brothers  may  have  been  intended  to  please  Augustus,  with  whom 
Drusus  was  more  of  a  favorite  than  his  brother.  The  position  of  the 
ode  in  the  book  is  thought  by  many  to  be  due  to  the  same  cause ;  but 
it  is  more  probable  that  Horace  placed  it  and  its  companion  ode,  the 
fifteenth,  at  the  end,  that  he  might  close  the  book  with  the  Emperor's 
praise.  The  date  of  composition  must  be  about  the  same  as  that  of  the 
fourth  ode,  i.e.  14  B.C.     Metre,  68. 

Quae  cura  patrum  quaeve  Quiritium 
plenis  honorum  muneribus  tuas, 
Auguste,  virtutes  in  aevum 
per  titulos  memoresque  fastos 

5  aeternet,  o  qua  sol  habitabilis 

inlustrat  oras  maxime  principum  .■' 

Quern  legis  expertes  Latinae 

Vindelici  didicere  nuper 

quid  Marte  posses.     Milite  nam  tuo 
10  Drusus  Genaunos,  implacidum  genus, 

Breunosque  velocis  et  arcis 
Alpibus  impositas  tremendis 

I  f.    patrum  .  .  .  Quiritium:   a  delici:    cf.   introductory   n.  to  4, 

poetic  turn  for  the  official  senatus  4.  —  nuper :    referring   to   Drusus' 

populusque   Rotnanus. — plenis:  victory     near    Tridentum.      The 

adequate.  adverb  helps  fix  the  date  of  com- 

4.  titulos  :  inscriptions  on  stat-  position. 

ues,    honorary     decrees,     etc.  —  9  ff .    Marte  :   cf.  3,  5,  24.  34.  — 

memoresque  fastos :  repeated  from  milite:    cf.    i,   15,  6    and    v.    33 

3,17,4.  below.  —  Genaxmos,  Breunos:  two 

5.  0  qua  sol,  etc.  :    the  whole  Raetian  tribes  living  in  the  valley 
inhabitable  world.  of  the  river  Inn.     The  latter  tribe 

7  f .    quem  didicere    .    .    .   quid  gave  its  name  to  the  Brenner  Pass. 

posses :    this    Greek   construction  —  implacidum :    first   found   here, 

is  found  in  the   lyrics    only  here  —  velocis :  quick,  agile ;  a  charac- 

and  v.  17  spectandus  .  .  .  quantis,  teristic    of    mountaineers.  —  arcis 

etc.  —  legis  expertes  :    i.e.  not  yet  .  .  .  impositas:  repeated  by  Hor- 

brought    under    our    rule.  —  Vin-  ace  Epist.  2,  i,  252. 

380 


CARMINA 


[4.  14.  25 


15 


deiecit  acer  plus  vice  simplici ; 
maior  Neronum  mox  grave  proelium 
commisit  immanisque  Raetos 
auspiciis  pepulit  secundis, 

spectandus  in  certamine  Martio, 
devota  morti  pectora  liberae 
quantis  fatigaret  ruinis, 

indomitas  prope  qualis  undas 

exercet  Auster  Pleiadum  choro 
scindente  nubis,  impiger  hostium 
vexare  turmas  et  frementem 

mittere  equum  medios  per  ignis. 

Sic  tauriformis  volvitur  Aufidus, 


25 

13.  deiecit:  especially  appli- 
cable to  the  mountain  citadels,  but 
belonging  by  a  slight  zeugma  to  Ge- 
naunos,  Breunos  also . —  vice  :  requi- 
tal: i.e.  they  suffered  greater  losses 
than  they  had  themselves  caused. 

14  ff.  maior  Neronum :  cf.  n.  to 
4,  4,  28.  The  name  Tiberius  can- 
not be  employed  in  Alcaic  verse.  — 
mox:  Tiberius'  attack  from  the 
north  followed  Drusus'  successes. 
—  immanis  :  vionstroiis  (in  their 
cruelty).  The  savagery  of  the 
Alpine  tribesmen  is  described  by 
Strabo  4,  6,  8. 

17.  spectandus :  cf.  n.  to  v.  7 
above.  The  gerundive  is  equiva- 
lent to  dignus  qui  spectaretiir ;  cf. 
4,  2,  9  do7iandus.  Observe  that  the 
verse  lacks  the  caesura.     Intr.  50. 

18  ff.  morti .  .  .  liberae  :  a  free- 
man's death.  —  minis  ;  shocks, 
blows.  —  indomitas    prope  qualis, 


etc.  :  the  comparison  is  twofold  — 
Tiberius  is  likened  to  the  Auster., 
his  foes  to  the  invincible  waves. 
Strictly  speaking,  of  course,  the 
Raeti  were  not  indoiniti.  —  prope  : 
prosaically  qualifying  the  simile;  cf. 
S.  2,  3,  268  tempest  at  is  prope  ritn. 

21  ff.  exercet  :  vexes.  —  Plei- 
adum choro :  the  constellation  set 
in  November,  a  stormy  month.  — 
nubis :  i.e.  the  {drifting)  storm- 
clouds. —  vexare:  for  the  mood, 
see  Intr.  108.  —  medios  per  ignes  : 
may  be  taken  literally  of  the  burn- 
ing villages,  or  metaphorically  of 
extreme  danger.  Cf.  Sil.  Ital.  14, 
175  f.  si  tibi  per  medios  ignis 
mediosque  per  ensis  \  non  dederit 
mea  dextra  viam. 

25  ff .  sic  .  .  .  ut :  an  unusual 
inversion  by  which  the  subject  of 
the  comparison  occupies  the  relative 
clause. — tauriformis:    the  Greek 


381 


4,  14,  26] 


HORATI 


30 


35 


qui  regna  Dauni  praefluit  Apuli, 
cum  saevit  horrendamque  cultis 
diluviem  meditatur  agris, 

ut  barbarorum  Claudius  agmina 
f errata  vasto  diruit  impetu, 

primosque  et  extremes  metendo 
stravit  humum,  sine  clade  victor, 

te  copias,  te  consilium  et  tuos 
praebente  divos.     Nam  tibi,  quo  die 
portus  Alexandrea  supplex 
et  vacuam  patefecit  aulam, 

Fortuna  lustro  prospera  tertio 
belli  secundos  reddidit  exitus, 


Tavp6fjLop<l}o<;.  Such  compounds 
are  very  rare  in  Horace. — Aufidus  : 
a  favorite  illustration.  Cf.  3,  30, 
10;  4,9,  2. 

26.   Dauni:  cf.  n.  to  1,22,  14. 

—  praefluit:  cf.  4,  3,  10  and  n. — 
diluviem:  flood;  cf.  3,  29,  40. 

29  ff.    Claudius :    7.1?.    Tiberius. 

—  ferrata  :  mail  clad.  The  use  of 
mail  by  the  Germanic  and  Gallic 
tribes  is  not  stated  before  Tacitus 
Ann.  3,  43,  3  (he  is  speaking  of 
Gauls)  qiiibus  more  gentico  con- 
tintiuin  ferri  tegimen .  —  diruit : 
jiroperly  of  razing  buildings  ;  here 
tlie  mailed  ranks  of  the  enemy 
are  likened  to  a  fortress. — pri- 
mes et  extremes :  i.e.  the  entire 
army.  —  metendo:  see  n.  to  4, 
II,  30  for  this  use  of  gerund;  for 
the  figurative  use,  cf.  Verg.  A.  10, 
513  proxutna  quaeqiie  metitgladio. 


382 


32.  stravit  humum:  i.e.  with 
their  corpses.  —  sine  clade  victor  : 
Velleius  i,  95  says  that  the  victory 
was  won  tnaiore  cum  periculc 
quam  damno  Romani  exercitns. 

33.  te  .  .  .  te  .  .  .  tuos:  Intr. 
28  c. 

34  ff.  nam,  etc. :  explaining 
tuos  .  .  .  divos  ;  i.e.  '  since  the  day. 
when  Alexandria  fell,  the  gods 
have  smiled  on  all  thy  undertakings 
and  have  granted  this  last  success. 
—  quo  die :  we  need  not  suppose 
that  the  victory  in  the  Alps  fell 
exactly  on  Aug.  i,  the  probable 
date  of  Alexandria's  surrender.  — 
vacuam :  made  so  by  the  death  of 
Cleopatra. 

37  ff.  lustro  .  .  .  tertio :  abl.  of 
time  completed.  —  reddidit :  gavt 
as  thy  due.  —  laudem :  in  the  rec- 
ognition of  Rome's  power  by  the 


CARMINA 


[4.  14.  50 


40 


45 


laudemque  et  optatum  peractis 
imperils  decus  adrogavit. 

Te  Cantaber  non  ante  domabilis 
Medusque  et  Indus,  te  profugus  Scythes 
miratur,  o  tutela  praesens 
Italiae  dominaeque  Romae ; 

te  fontium  qui  celat  origines 
Nilusque  et  Hister,  te  rapidus  Tigris, 
te  beluosus  qui  remotis 

obstrepit  Oceanus  Britannis, 

te  non  paventis  funera  Galliae 
duraeque  tellus  audit  Hiberiae, 


remote  peoples  named  below.  — 
adrogavit :  has  bestowed. 

41  ff.  Augustus"  world-wide  do- 
minion.—  te,  te,  etc.:  the  multi- 
fold repetition  keeps  the  subject 
constantly   before   us.     Cf.   n.   to 

1.  10,   17.  —  Cantaber:    cf.   n.   to 

2,  6,  2.  —  Medus  :  cf.  n.  to  i,  2,  22. 
—  Indus:  cf.  I,  12,  56.  —  tutela: 
here  active,  protector;  cf.  its  use 
4,  6,  33.  —  praesens  :  cf.  3,  5,  2.  — 
dominae  :  imperial ;  cf .  4.  3.  13 
Romae  priiicipis  i/rbiufii. 

45.  qui  celat  origines :  the 
sources  of  the  Nile  were  not  discov- 
ered until  the  nineteenth  century, 
so  that  they  were  long  a  synonym 
for  unknown  and  remotest  regions. 
Cf.  Lucan  10,  189  if.  where  Caesar 
says  nihil  est  quod  noscere  malitn  \ 
quam  fluvii  causas  per  saeaila 
tanta  latentis  \  ignotiimqite  caput : 
spes  sit  viihi  certa  videndi  \  JVili- 


acosf antes,  belhcm  civile  relinqnavi. 
In  20  B.C.,  when  Augustus  was  in 
Samos.  an  embassy  of  Ethiopians 
visited  him.  For  the  use  of  the 
river  to  designate  the  people  living 
by  it,  cf.  n.  to  2,  20,  20. 

46  ff.  Hister  :  the  Dacians.  — 
Tigris  :  the  Armenians. — beluosus  : 
teeming  with  tnonsters.  The  word 
is  not  found  after  Horace  until 
Avienus  in  the  4th  century.  U 
reproduces  the  Homeric  /xeyaKrjTea 
TTovTov.  —  obstrepit  ;  that  roars 
against.  Cf.  2,  18.  20.  —  Britannis  : 
some  of  the  chiefs  of  Britain  had 
sought  protection  from  Augustus 
(Strabo4,  5,  3). 

49.  non  paventis  funera :  the 
Gallic  indifference  to  death  was 
attributed  by  the  Romans  to  Dru- 
idical  teachings  as  to  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul.  Cf.  Caes.  B.  G. 
6,  14.  5  in  primis  hoc  volunt  per- 


383 


4,  14.  51  ]  HORATI 

te  caede  gaudentes  Sygambri 
compositis  venerantur  armis. 

suadere,  non  interire  animas,  ...  51.    Sygambri:    the  list  closes 

at  que  hoc  7tiaxime  ad  virtutem  exci-      with  a  people  lately  subdued.    See 
tare  piitant,  metu  mortis  neglecto.      intr.  n.  to  4,  2. 

15 

The  closing  ode  of  the  book  is  appropriately  given  to  the  praise  of 
Augustus  alone.  It  stands  in  the  same  close  relation  to  14  that  5  does 
to  4.     (See  the  introductions  to  these  odes.) 

'  When  I  would  sing  the  deeds  of  war,  Apollo  checked  my  course. 
My  song  shall  rather  be  of  thy  age,  Caesar,  which  has  brought  back 
peace  and  its  blessings,  and  recalled  the  ancient  virtues  which  built  our 
empire  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun  (1-16).  So  long  as  Caesar 
guards  our  state,  no  fear  of  civil  strife  or  foreign  foe  shall  vex  our  peace 
(17-24).  And  every  day  over  our  wine,  with  wives  and  children  by, 
we'll  pray  the  gods  in  forms  prescribed,  and  hymn  the  great  ones  of  our 
past,  kindly  Venus'  line  (25-32).' 

It  should  be  noted  that  this  ode  like  5  extols  Augustus  as  the 
restorer  of  peace  and  morality,  while  4  and  14  glorify  his  success  in 
war.  In  date  of  composition  it  is  probably  the  latest  of  all ;  the  fact 
that  no  mention  is  made  of  Augustus'  return  to  Rome  on  July  4,  13  B.C., 
or  of  the  honors  planned  for  his  return,  makes  it  very  probable  that  it 
was  written  before  that  date,  approximately  toward  the  end  of  14  B.C. 
Metre,  68. 

Phoebus  volentem  proelia  me  loqui 
victas  et  urbis  increpuit  lyra, 

I  f.   Phoebus,  etc. :  possibly  in  etc. :  i.e.  sing  of  epic  themes,  for 

imitation  of  Verg.  E.  6,  3  f.  cum  which  Horace  had  again  and  again 

canerem  reges  et  proelia.,  Cynthius  declared   his   unfitness.      On   the 

aurein  \  vellit  et  admotiuit.     Ovid  use  of  loqui,  cf.  n.  to  4,  2,  45.  — 

makes   a  similar  apology  for  his  incxeTiimi:  checked  and  warned  me, 

Amores,    i,    i,    iff.   arma  gravi  etc.  —  lyra:  Porphyrio  connected 

numero  violentaquebella parabam\  this  with  loqui,  which  then  means 

edere,  materia  cotiveniente  modis ;  \  '  handle  epic  themes  in  lyric  verse ' ; 

par  erat  inferior  versus;   risisse  but  it  is  more  natural  to  read  it 

Cupido  I  dicitur  atque  unum  stir-  with  increpuit,  both  from  its  posi- 

ripuisse  pedem.  —  proelia . . .  loqui,  tion  and  because  the  lyre  is  Apollo's 

384 


CARMINA 


[4.  15.  10 


ne  parva  Tyrrhenum  per  aequor 
vela  darem.     Tua,  Caesar,  aetas 

fruges  et  agris  rettulit  uberes 
et  signa  nostro  restituit  lovi 
derepta  Parthorum  superbis 
postibus  et  vacuum  duellis 

lanum  Quirini  clausit  et  ordinem 
rectum  evasranti  frena  licentiae 


natural  instrument  for  arousing 
and  directing  his  subjects.  Cf. 
2, 10,  18  quondam  cithara  tacentein 
suscitat  inusam  .  .  .  Apollo.  Also 
Ovid.  A.  A.  2,  493  f.  haec  ego  cum 
canerem  subito  tnanifestus  Apollo  \ 
movit  inatiratae  pollice  fila  lyrae. 

3  f.  The  metaphor  is  common 
for  bold  undertakings ;  cf.  e.g. 
Prop.  4,  9,  3  i.  quid  me  scribe tidi 
tarn  vastutn  mittis  in  aequor  f  \ 
non  sunt  apta  meae  grandia  vela 
rati. — parva:  as  befitting  his 
lyric  verse.  Cf  i,  6,  9'  tenues 
grandia,  etc.  —  tua  aetas  :  the 
abruptness  of  the  transition  brings 
these  words  into  special  prominence 
as  the  theme  which  Apollo  assigns. 

5.  fruges,  etc.  :  cf.  n.  to4.  5,  18. 
—  et . . .  et,  etc.  ;  the  polysyndeton 
in  the  following  three  strophes  gives 
a  cumulative  force  to  this  recital 
of  the  blessings  of  Augustus'  rule. 

6  ff.  signa  :  restored  in  20  B.C., 
when  the  Parthian  king  was  dis- 
tressed by  domestic  troubles  and 
overawed  by  Augustus"  prepara- 
tions for  an  expedition  against 
him.  —  nostro  .  .  .  lovi:  i.e.  Capi- 


toline  Jove.  It  is  conjectured  from 
this  passage  that  the  standards 
were  deposited  in  the  temple  on 
the  Capitol  until  transferred  to  the 
temple  of  Mars  Ultor,  dedicated 
in  2  B.C.  Horace's  words,  however, 
do  not  necessitate  this  conclusion. 

—  derepta :  poetic  exaggeration.  — 
postibus  :  of  their  temples.  —  duel- 
lis :  cf.  3,  5,  38  and  n. 

9  f .  lanum  Quirini :  a  variation 
of  the  common  lanum  Quirinum, 
the  name  given  the  temple  as  well 
as  the  god.  The  shrine  stood 
near  the  north  end  of  the  Forum. 

—  clausit :  in  29  and  25  B.C.  The 
gates  had  then  not  been  closed 
since  the  end  of  the  First  Punic 
War.  They  were  shut  a  third 
time  during  Augustus'  rule,  but 
the  exact  year  is  not  known. 
When  Horace  wrote  the  gates 
were  open.  —  evaganti:  transitive. 
Intr.  86.  —  frena,  etc:  Horace's 
hope  expressed  3,  24,  28  f.  is  ful- 
filled. With  the  expression,  cf. 
Val.  Max.  2,  9,  t^  freni  sunt  iniecti 
vobis,  Quirites:  lex  enim  lata  est, 
quae  vos  esse  frugi  iubet. 


38s 


4.  15.  '0 


HORATI 


iniecit  emovitque  culpas 
et  veteres  revocavit  artis, 

per  quas  Latinum  nomen  et  Italae 
crevere  vires  famaque  et  imperi 
IS  porrecta  maiestas  ad  ortus 

solis  ab  Hesperio  cubili. 

Custode  rerum  Caesare  non  furor 
civilis  aut  vis  exiget  otium, 
non  ira,  quae  procudit  ensis 
2o  et  miseras  inimicat  urbis. 

Non  qui  profundum  Danuvium  bibunt 
edicta  rumpent  lulia,  non  Getae, 
non  Seres  infidive  Persae, 

non  Tanain  prope  flumen  orti. 


12.  artis:  the  virtues  ;  cf.  3,3,9. 
With  these  statements,  cf.  Augus- 
tus' claims  Mon.  Anc.  2,  1 2  legibus 
tiovis  latis  multa  revocavi  exempla 
7naioruin  exolescentia. 

13  ff.  Latinum  nomen,  Italae 
vires,  imperi  maiestas :  the  three 
steps  of  Roman  dominion.  —  no- 
men: cf  3,  3,45.  —  fama  :  modified 
by  imperi.  —  porrecta  :  participle, 
which  has  been,  etc.  —  ad  ortus, 
etc. :  cf.  e.g.  Tib.  2,  5,  57  Roma, 
tuum  nomen  terrisfatale  regendis,  \ 
qua  sua  de  caelo  prospicit  arva 
Ceres.,  \  quaque  patent  ortus  et  qua 
fluitantibus  undis  \  solis  anhelautes 
abluit  anijiis  equos. 

17  ff.  A  similar  passage  to  3. 
14,  14  ff.  —  non  .  .  .  non,  etc.  : 
the  effect  of  the  anaphora  in  the 
two  following  strophes  is  like  that 


secured  by  the  polysyndeton  in 
the  three  preceding.  —  furor :  mad- 
ness ;  cf.  Epist.  2,  2,  47  civilis 
aestus.  —  ira  :  cf.  i ,  1 6,  9  ff.  — 
inimicat :  a  compound  coined  by 
Horace.' 

21  ff.  qui  profundum  Danuvium 
bibunt :  the  peoples  living  by  the 
Danube  had  not  been  reduced  to 
complete  submission  at  the  time 
Horace  wrote ;  that  was  accom- 
plished later.  All  Horace  means 
is  that  they  were  at  peace  with 
Rome.  —  edicta  .  .  .  lulia  :  not 
in  a  technical,  but  a  general  sense, 
—  the  terms  set  by  Augustus.  — 
Getae:  cf.  3,  24,  11.  —  Seres:  cf. 
n.  to  I,  12,  56.  —  infidi:  cf.  Epist. 
2,  1 ,  112  Parthis  mendacior.  — 
Persae :  i ,  2,  22 .  —  Tanain  prope 
flumen  orti:  cf.   3.  29.  28.     This 


386 


CARMINA 


[4.  '5.  32 


25  Nosque  et  profestis  lucibus  et  sacris 

inter  iocosi  munera  Liberi, 
cum  prole  matronisque  nostris 
rite  deos  prius  adprecati, 

virtute  functos  more  patrum  duces 
30  Lydis  remixto  carmine  tibiis 

Troiamque  et  Anchisen  et  alniae 
progeniem  Veneris  canemus. 


list  of  peoples  should  be  compared 
with  that  in  4,  14,  41-52.  It  will 
be  noted  that  none  of  the  peoples 
here  named  were  actually  subject 
to  Rome ;  but  as  remote  nations 
which  had  more  or  less  dealings 
with  Rome,  they  appealed  to  the 
Roman  imagination. 

25  ff.  nos  :  marking  the  shift  to 
tlie  Romans'  own  happy  lot.  —  et 
profestis  .  .  .  et  sacris :  i.e.  every 
day  alike.  —  lucibus  :  cf.  4,  6.  42  ; 
II,  19.  —  iocosi  munera  Liberi: 
the  Hesiodic  Swpa  Attovucrov  itokv- 
yrj6io<i.  Cf.  i,  18,7.  —  cum  prole, 
etc. :  each  in  his  own  home.  — 
rite  :  in  prescribed  fashion. 

29.  virtute  functos  :  varying 
the  common  vita  functos :  cf.  2. 
18.  38  labor ibus  functos.  Trans- 
late, wJio  have  done  their   noble 


work.  —  more  patrum  :  modifying 
canemus.  The  custom  of  extoll- 
ing the  virtues  of  their  ancestors 
in  song  at  banquets  was  an  an- 
cient one  among  the  Romans,  ac- 
cording to  Cato.  Cf.  Cic.  Tusc. 
4,  3  /;/  Originibus  dixit  Cato 
morevt  apud  maiores  hunc  epit- 
lariim  fuisse.  ut  deincefis  qui 
accubarent  canerent  ad  tibiam 
clarorum  viroru/n  laudes  atque 
virttctes. 

30  ff .  Lydis :  apparently  a  purely 
ornamental  epithet.  —  remixto :  an 
unusual  word.  —  tibiis :  dative.  — 
Anchisen  et  .  .  .  progeniem  Ve- 
neris :  i.e.  the  long  line  descended 
from  Anchises  and  Venus ;  but 
the  special  reference  is  obviously 
to  Augustus,  as  in  C.  S.  50  clarus 
Anchisae  Venerisque  sanguis. 


387 


CARMEN    SAECVLARE 


Horace's  preeminent  art  was  officially  recognized  in  17  B.C.  by  his 
appointment  to  write  the  hymn  for  the  celebration  of  the  ludi  saecu- 
lares.  This  festival  originated  in  a  worship  of  the  gods  of  the  lower 
world  by  the  gens  Valeria  at  a  spot  in  the  Campus  Martius  called 
Terentum  (or  Tarentum),  near  the  bend  in  the  river  not  far  below  the 
present  Ponte  San  Angelo.  In  249  B.C.,  after  the  defeat  at  Drepanum, 
some  fearful  portents  prompted  a  consultation  of  the  Sibylline  Books  : 
these  ordered  a  celebration  of  the  ludi  Teretitini,  and  further  directed 
that  the  festival  should  be  repeated  every  hundred  years.  Thus  the  gen- 
tile cult  became  a  national  one.  The  second  celebration  was  not  in  149 
but  146  B.C. ;  the  confusion  of  49  B.C.  must  have  prevented  any  thought 
of  the  ludi  in  that  year.  Apparently  Augustus  thought  of  a  similar 
festival  in  honor  of  Apollo  and  Diana  for  23  B.C. ;  this  undoubtedly 
would  have  taken  the  form  of  an  appeal  to  these  divinities  to  avert  the 
misfortune  which  then  threatened  the  state  and  the  emperor  —  the  bad 
harvest  with  its  attendant  hardship  and  Augustus'  sickness  (cf.  Intr. 
n.  to  I,  21  and  n.  to  i,  21,  6).  For  some  unknown  reason  the  celebra- 
tion was  deferred.  The  year  17,  however,  marked  the  close  of  tlie 
decade  for  which  Augustus  in  January,  27  B.C.,  had  undertaken  the 
direction  of  the  state.  In  this  ten  years  the  Roman  world  had  revived 
under  the  blessings  of  peace  and  had  seemed  to  enter  on  a  new  era. 
Augustus  proposed  to  celebrate  the  close  of  this  period  by  a  revival 
of  the  ludi  saeculares  in  new  and  magnificent  form. 

To  obtain  religious  sanction  for  his  plan  he  applied  to  the  quinde- 
cimviri,  the  college  in  charge  of  the  Sibylline  Books,  who  took  no 
years  as  the  length  of  the  saeculum, —  antiquarians  differed  as  to  whether 
100  or  no  years  was  the  correct  number,  —  and  on  this  basis  pointed 
to  four  previous  dates  for  celebrations  beginning  with  456  B.C. ;  the 

388 


CARMEN   SAECVLARE 

one  proposed  by  Augustus  was  then  the  fifth,  and  fell  in  the  last  year 
of  the  saeculum  instead  of  at  its  close.  Claudius  celebrated  the  festival 
in  47  A.D.,  taking  the  traditional  date  of  the  founding  of  the  city  as  his 
starting  point  and  reckoning  a  saecuhon  as  loo  years  ;  Domitian's  cele- 
bration was  in  88  a.d.  ;  that  of  Antoninus  Pius,  in  147,  marked  the 
close  of  the  city's  ninth  century.  Later  celebrations  were  by  Septimius 
Severus  in  204;  by  Philip  in  248  in  honor  of  the  completion  of  the  first 
millennium  of  the  state.  Whether  there  were  celebrations  by  Gallienus 
in  257  or  by  Maximian  in  304  is  uncertain.  They  were  revived  by  Pope 
Boniface  as  papal  jubilees  in  1300. 

Augustus,  however,  made  important  changes  in  the  nature  of  the 
festival.  Hitherto  it  had  been  a  propitiatory  offering  to  the  gods  of 
the  lower  world ;  now  it  became  rather  a  festival  of  thanksgiving  for 
present  blessings  and  of  prayer  for  the  continuance  of  them  forever. 
Pluto  and  Proseipina  were  not  mentioned,  but  Apollo  and  Diana 
had  the  most  prominent  place.  Jupiter  and  Juno  were  also  honored. 
Zosimus  (2,  5)  has  preserved  for  us  an  account  of  the  celebration  and 
the  oracle  which  contains  directions  for  it.  This  oracle  in  its  present 
detailed  form  was  unquestionably  written  for  the  festival  or  after  it,  but 
is  probably  based  on  an  earlier  production.  After  the  celebration  was 
past,  two  pillars,  one  marble,  the  other  bronze,  inscribed  with  a  com- 
plete record,  were  erected  at  the  spot  Terentum ;  in  1890  some  frag- 
ments of  the  marble  pillar  were  recovered  and  are  now  preserved  in  the 
Museo  delle  Therme  which  occupies  a  portion  of  the  remains  of  the 
baths  of  Diocletian.^  These  fragments  and  literary  notices,  especially 
Zosimus,  enable  us  to  trace  the  course  of  the  festival  clearly.  The  cele- 
bration proper  began  on  the  evening  before  June  i ;  but  on  May  26-28 
the  magistrates  distributed  to  all  citizens  who  applied  stcffivtenta,  pitch- 
pine,  sulphur,  and  bitumen,  for  purposes  of  purification  ;  May  29-31  the 
citizens  brought  contributions  of  grain  to  the  officials  to  be  used  by 
them  in  paying  the  musicians  and  actors. 

The  festival  itself  lasted  three  nights  and  days  ;  the  nocturnal  sacri- 
fices were  at  Terentum  ;  the  ceremonies  by  day  were  at  the  temples  of 
the  several  divinities.  Augustus,  assisted  by  Agrippa,  conducted  the 
entire  celebration.  On  the  first  night  nine  black  ewe  lambs  and  nine 
she-goats  were  burnt  whole  in  sacrifice  to  the  Parcae  (C.  S.  25  ff.)  ; 
on  the  following  night  consecrated  cakes  were  offered  to  the  Ilithyiae 

1  The  inscription  is  best  edited  by  Mommsen  in  the  Ephemeris  Epigraphica, 
iSgi.pp.  '2.2.^-'2j\.  For  accounts  of  the  festival  see  also  Lanciani  in  the  Atlantic 
Monthly,  February,  1892;  Slaughter,  Transactions  of  the  Am.  Phil.  Association, 
1895,  PP-  69-78  ;  and  Harper's  Classical  Dictionary,  p.  974  f. 

389 


HORATI 

(C.  S.  13  ff.)  ;  and  on  the  third  night  a  sow  big  with  young  was  sacri- 
ficed to  Tei/us  (C  6-.  29 ff.).i 

After  the  sacrifice  of  the  first  night,  scenic  representations  were 
begun  on  a  stage  without  seats  for  the  audience,  and  continued  uninter- 
ruptedly throughout  the  festival ;  beginning  with  the  first  day,  however, 
they  were  given  in  a  theater  erected  for  the  occasion  (/«^//'  Latini  in 
theatro  ligneo  quod  erat  constitutum  m  catnpo  secundum  Tiberint) . 

On  the  first  day  Augustus  and  Agrippa  each  sacrificed  a  white  bull 
to  Jupiter  on  the  Capitol,  and  the  following  day  each  a  white  cow  to 
Juno  in  the  same  place  ;  on  the  third  day,  when  the  festival  reached  its 
climax,  Augustus  and  Agrippa  offered  consecrated  cakes  to  Apollo  and 
Diana  at  the  temple  of  Apollo  on  the  Palatine  (cf.  introductory  n.  to  i, 
31)  ;  and  then  twenty-seven  boys  and  a  like  number  of  girls,  especially 
chosen  for  this  service,  sang  the  hymn  which  Horace  had  written  for  the 
occasion,  and  repeated  it  on  the  Capitol  {sacrificioque  perfecto  pueri 
XXVII quib us demmtiatuin  et puellaetotidein  carmen  cecinerjint ;  eodem- 
que  inodo  in  Capitolio.  Carmen  composuit  Q.  H or  a  tins  Flaccus).  In 
addition  to  these  ceremonies  no  matrons  conducted  sellesiernia  to 
Juno  and  Diana  on  each  day ;  and  ludi  cir censes  and  ludi  honor arii 
were  continued  seven  days  (June  4-1 1)  after  the  close  of  the  festival.'- 

The  ode  itself  lacks  the  grace  and  ease  of  most  of  Horace's  lyric 
verse ;  its  formal  phrases  when  read  seem  stiff  and  rigid.     Doubtless 

1  The  verses  of  the  oracle  ordering  these  ceremonies  are  as  follows :  — 

pe^eiv  iv   ntSito   Trapa.  Su^piSos  airAeroi'  iiSiap, 
OTrn-jj  (TTeivoTaToi',  vuf  rjviKa  yaiav  itri\6j\, 
tjeKiov  KpvipavTO'S  eo»'  (j>a.os  '   evCa  aii  pe^eir 
iepa  navToyovOLi   Motpats  apfa?  xe  koX  aiya? 
Kvaveai,  en-l  rais  &'   EiAetSuia?  apeaaaSai 
waiSoTOKOvi  ffue'eo'O'ii',  oirj)  fle'/nts  •  avBc  &e   Vaiji 
TrAjjSofiei-i)  xoi'pois  t'?  tpeiioiTO  fiekaLVa. 

2  The  oracle  prescribes  these  rites  also  in  detail :  — 

TrafAevKOi  raOpoi  &i  Aibs   vapd  ^lo/ubi'  <iye<rdu)i' 
^/uari  iJ.r)S'  irrl   vvktI  •   .   .   . 
.  .  .  Bap.d\yfi  &e  ^obj  Sefia^  ay\aov  'Hp)j« 
&e^a.(T0a)  vjjbs  irapd  (rev.      Koi  «tot^os  '  knoWiuy, 
6(TTe  Kal  ijf'Aios  KiKAijtrKeTai,  laa  SeSexBat 
6vy.ara.  AYjToiSijs.     xal  aeiSo^ieiot  re  Aarii'oi 
7raiav€s  Koupoi<ri  >(.6pj)ai  re  vr\bv  ixoiev 
ddavdriav.      X"P'*  ^*  Kopac  xopb;'  avTol  cxoiei', 
Kal  X"P'^  TraiSiav  ap(Tr]ii  (JTaxvi,  aAAa  yovrjwi- 
wavTCi  ^uioi'Tioi',  0I5  afi<|)iflaAr|?  «Ti  c^vtAi), 
ai  5e  ydfiov  ^evy\ai<Ti  SeSp.rjiJ.4fai.  jj^ari  (cetVo) 
yvv(  'Hprjs  wapd  Poip.bv  doiSiixov  iSpiouxrai. 
Saipiova  Ki<T(Tic6u>aav. 


CARMEN   SAECVLARE  [i-8 

this  was  intentional  and  marked  no  falling  off  in  Horace's  skill  as  a 
versifier.  He  saw  that  for  this  ceremonial  occasion  simplicity  and  dig- 
nity were  of  chief  importance.  Any  just  appreciation  of  the  poem  on 
our  part  must  start  with  the  consideration  that  it  was  written  to  be  sung 
to  musical  accompaniment  by  a  trained  chorus  in  the  open  air  before  a 
large  body  of  people.  Thus  performed  it  must  have  been  beautiful  and 
impressive.  The  ode  is  carefully  polished ;  the  number  of  feminine 
caesuras  is  striking.  It  is  impossible  to  determine  to-day  with  accuracy 
the  way  in  which  the  strophes  were  assigned ;  it  is  probable  that  the 
first,  second,  and  last  were  sung  by  the  full  chorus,  and  it  is  clear  that 
vv.  33-34  belong  to  the  boys,  35-36  to  the  girls.  Beyond  this  all  is 
mere  conjecture.  For  the  influence  of  the  Aeneid  in  this  ode,  cf.  n. 
to  vv.  yj  ff.     Metre,  69. 

Phoebe  silvarumque  potens  Diana, 
lucidum  caeli  decus,  o  colendi 
semper  et  culti,  date  quae  precamur 
tempore  sacro, 

5  quo  Sibyllini  monuere  versus 

virgines  lectas  puerosque  castos 

dis  quibus  septem  placuere  coUes 

dicere  carmen. 

I  ff .    Phoebe  .   .  .  Diana  :   the  coloque  ;  and  Horace's  own  phrase, 

opening   verse   shows    that   these  Epist.   1,1,1  prima   dicte  mild. 

are  the  chief  divinities  of  the  festi-  siiiiima    dicende    Camena     {Alae- 

val. — silvarum  potens  ;  cf.  i,  3,  i  cenas).  —  semper:    with    both  co- 

diva potens  Cypri,  i.e.  Venus,  and  n.  lendi  and  culti. 
On  Diana,  goddess  of  the  woods,  5  ff .    quo  :  with  dicere.  —  Sibyl- 

cf.  1,21.5;  3.22,1. — caelidecus:  lini  .   .   .  versus:  the  older collec- 

i.e.  as  sun  and  moon :  in  apposi-  tions   of    Sibylline    oracles    were 

tion  with  both  Phoebe  and  Diana.  destroyed  at  the  burning  of  the 

The  phrase  is  repeated  by  Seneca  Capitol,  83  B.C.     A  new  collection 

Oed.  409 ;    cf.    also    Verg.    A.   9,  was   made   which    was   added   to 

405  astrorum  decus  ct  nemorum  from   time   to   time.     The   oracle 

Latottia  custos.  —  colendi . . .  culti :  preserved    by    Zosimus,    as    said 

almost  a  ritual  expression, ^y^,  who  above,  was  compiled  after  the  de- 

are   ever    to  be,   and  have   ever  tails  of  the  festival  had  been  de- 

been,  worshipped.     Cf.  Ovid  Met.  termined,  or  after  the  celebration 

8,  350  Phoebe  .  .   .  si  te  coluiqite  itself.  —  lectas.    castos :  both    ad- 

391 


9-18] 


HORATI 


15 


Alme  Sol,  curru  nitido  diem  qui 
promis  et  celas,  aliusque  et  idem 
nasceris,  possis  nihil  urbe  Roma 
visere  maius. 

Rite  matures  aperire  partus 
lenis,  Ilithyia,  tuere  matres, 
sive  tu  Lucina  probas  vocari 
seu  Genitalis. 

Diva,  producas  subolem  patrumque 
prosperes  decreta  super  iugandis 


jectives  belong  to  each  noun.  Cf. 
4,  6,  31  f.  —  dis  quibus,  etc. :  the 
guardian  gods  in  general,  not 
limited  to  Apollo  and  Diana.  — 
placuere  :  have  found  fa-zior ;  cf.  3, 
4,  24. 

9  ff.  Apollo  as  the  sun  god. 
Cf.  V.  i6f.  of  the  oracle  koX  ^oipos 
AttoAAwv  I  ocTTf.  Kol  rjiXio^  klkXt]- 
o-KCTai.  —  alme  :  cf.  4,  7,  7  alniiDn 
diem.  —  alius  et  idem :  another 
and  yet  the  same.  —  possis  :  opta- 
tive subj. —  nihil  urbe,  etc.  :  cf. 
Verg.  A.  7,  602  f.  maxvna  reriim 
Roma,  and  Pausanias  8,  33,  3  with 
reference  to  Babylon,  Ba/JvXwvo? 
.  .  .  ^v  Tiva  eiSe  iroX.f.uiv  Tuiv  Tort 
ixeytarrjv  ^Aios. 

12  a.  The  goddess  of  child- 
birth, Ilithyia  (tacitly  identified 
with  Diana).  —  matiuros  :  zn  due 
season.  —  aperire  :  with  lenis, 
which  is  a  part  of  the  prayer — be 
thou  gentle,  etc.  —  Ilithyia  :  among 
the  Greeks  we  find  now  one,  now 
many,   goddesses   so   called.      In 


the  inscription  we  read  deis  Ilithyis 
and  in  the  oracle  EiAet^vtas,  but 
the  inscription  gives  the  prayer 
Ilithyia,  uti  tibei,  etc.  There  can 
be  little  question  that  the  goddess 
was  identified  with  Diana,  although 
the  adjective  Lucina  properly  be- 
longs to  Juno  ;  Genitalis  is  appar- 
ently Horace's  invention,  possibly 
to  represent  the  Greek  FeveTvAAts. 

15  f.  sive  .  .  .  seu  :  in  early 
Roman  religion  the  divinities  were 
not  clearly  conceived  ;  hence  arose 
the  habit  of  addressing  them  in 
prayers  by  various  appellations 
that  they  might  not  be  offended, 
e.g.  sive  deus  sive  dea  ;  sive  quo  alio 
notnine  te  appellari  volueris;  etc. 

17  ff.  producas  :  rear.  —  de- 
creta :  with  reference  to  the  lex 
Julia  de  maritandis  ordinibus 
passed  the  preceding  year.  This 
was  a  law  to  discourage  celibacy 
and  to  encourage  marriage  and 
raising  of  children  (cf.  4,  5,  22  and 
n.).  —  super:    in  regard  to;    cf. 


392 


CARMEN   SAECVLARE 


[19-30 


25 


30 


feminis  prolisque  novae  feraci 
lege  marita, 

certus  undenos  deciens  per  annos 
orbis  ut  cantus  referatque  ludos, 
ter  die  claro  totiensque  grata 
nocte  frequentis. 

Vosque  veraces  cecinisse,  Parcae, 
quod  semel  dictum  est  stabilisque  rerum 
terminus  servet,  bona  iam  peractis 
iungite  fata. 

Fertilis  frugum  pecorisque  Tellus 
spicea  donet  Cererem  corona ; 


I,  9,  5.  —  feraci:  part  of  the 
prayer  —  %uhich  we  pray  may  be 
productive  of. 

21  ff.  The  purpose  of  the  prayer 
in  the  preceding  strophe,  —  'grant 
us  an  abundant  posterity  that  the 
festival  may  surely  (certus)  be  re- 
peated at  the  close  of  each  saeac- 
han  by  great  throngs  (frequentis) 
of  citizens.'  —  certus  :  this  with 
the  last  word  of  the  strophe,  fre- 
quentis, bears  the  emphasis.  — 
undenos,  etc. :  a  paraphrase  for  1 10 
ears.  —  per:  extending  throjigh. 
-orbis:  cycle.  —  ut :  for  its  posi- 
tion, see  Intr.  31.  —  frequentis: 
modifying  ludos. 

25  ff.  veraces  cecinisse  :  true 
in  your  past  prophecies.  For  the 
infinitive,  see  Intr.  108.  Cf.  2, 
16,  39  Parca  non  mendax. — Par- 
cae :  Motpat  in  the  inscription  and 
oracle,    to   whom    offerings    were 


made  on  the  first  night.  —  quod 
semel  dictum  est  :  equivalent  to 
fatuvt ;  quod  does  double  duty  as 
subject  of  dictum  est  and  object 
of  servet.  We  may  translate,  as 
has  been  ordained  once  for  all, 
and  as  we  pray  the  fixed  bound  of 
events  may  keep  it.  —  stabilis  rerum 
terminus  is  a  paraphrase  for  '  des- 
tiny.' Cf.  Verg.  A.  4,  614  et  sic 
fata  lovis  poscunt,  hie  terminus 
haeret.  —  servet  :  optative  subj. 
—  iam  peractis  :  to  those  already 
passed]  i.e.  in  the  saeculum  just 
closed. 

29  ff.  fertilis,  etc. :  a  part  of 
the  prayer.  With  the  expression, 
cf.  Sail.  /ug.  17,  5  ager frugum 
fertilis.  —  Tellus  :  Terra  Mater 
in  the  inscription.  Sacrifice  was 
made  to  her  on  the  third  night. — 
spicea  donet,  etc. :  i.e.  may  the 
crops  of  grain  be  abundant.     Cf. 


393 


31-42] 


HORATI 


35 


40 


nutriant  fetus  et  aquae  salubres 
et  lovis  aurae. 

Condito  mitis  placidusque  telo 
supplices  audi  pueros,  Apollo  ; 
siderum  regina  bicornis  audi, 
Luna,  puellas. 

Roma  si  vestrum  est  opus  Iliaeque 
litus  Etruscum  tenuere  turmae, 
iussa  pars  mutare  laris  et  urbem 
sospite  cursu, 

cui  per  ardentem  sine  fraude  Troiam 
castus  Aeneas  patriae  superstes 


the  prayer  of  Tibullus  i,  i,  15 
flava  Ceres,  tibi  sit  nostro  de  nire 
lorona  \  spicea.  —  fetus:  restricted 
to  the  fruges.  as  the  context  clearly 
shows. 

33  ff.  In  the  previous  strophes 
the  divinities  worshipped  by  night 
have  been  invoked  ;  the  hymn  is 
now  directed  to  the  gods  of  light. 
This  strophe  forms  the  transition. 
—  condito  mitis,  etc.  :  logically 
parallel  to  audi,  —  replace  thy 
weapon,  be  kind,  etc.  —  telo  :  i.e. 
his  arrow.  Apollo  was  repre- 
sented in  his  temple  on  the  Pala- 
tine (cf.  I, -29)  as  a  gracious  and 
kindly  god,  not  armed  but  playing 
on  the  lyre.  See  Baumeister,  no. 
104. 

35  f.  siderum  regina:  cf.  i,  12, 
47  f.  —  bicornis  :  i.e.  of  the  cres- 
cent moon. 

37  ff.    The  Aeneid,  which   had 


recently  been  published,  supplied 
the  theme  of  this  and  the  follow- 
ing strophe.  Horace  appeals  to 
the  gods  to  protect  their  own  crea- 
tion. —  si :  the  condition  expresses 
no  doubt,  but  has  rather  a  causal 
force,  —  if  Rotne  is  your  work 
(and  it  .surely  is);  i.e.  'since 
Rome,  etc'  —  vestrum  :  not  re- 
ferring to  Apollo  and  Diana  of 
the  preceding  strophe,  but  mean- 
ing the  great  gods  who  cared  for 
the  destinies  of  the  state.  The 
vagueness  -of  the  adjective  must 
be  counted  a  defect.  —  tenuere : 
gaified.  —  pars  :  t/ie  remnant ;  in 
apposition  with  turmae.  —  laris  : 
'their  hearths  and  homes.' 

41  f.  fraude:  harm.  Cf.  2,  ig, 
20.  — castus  :  and  therefore  saved 
while  the  wicked  perished.  Cf. 
with  the  epithet,  Vergil's  pins.  — 
patriae  :  dative  ;  cf.  Ep.  5,  10. 


394 


CARMEN    SAECVLARE 


I43-56 


liberum  miinivit  iter,  daturus 
plura  relictis, 

45  di,  probos  mores  docili  iuventae, 

di,  senectuti  placidae  quietem, 
Romulae  genti  date  remque  prolemque 
et  decus  omne ; 

quaeque  vos  bobus  veneratur  albis 
50  clarus  Anchisae  Venerisque  sanguis, 

impetret,  bellante  prior,  iacentem 
lenis  in  hostem. 

lam  mari  terraque  manus  potentis 
Medus  Albanasque  timet  securis, 
5  iam  Scythae  responsa  petunt,  superbi 

nuper,  et  Indi. 


43  f .  daturus  :  destined  to  give. 
—  plura  relictis  :  i.e.  a  city  (Rome) 
greater  than  the  one  they  had  left. 

45  ff.  probos  mores,  etc.  :  one 
of  Augustus'  chief  desires  was  to 
restore  a  healthy  moral  life.  Cf. 
3,  24,  25  ff.  ;  4,  5,  22  and  nn.  — 
docili,  placidae  :  proleptic,  belong- 
ing to  the  prayer.  —  remque,  etc. : 
cf.  Ovid  Fast.  3,  86  ar ma  ferae 
genti  remque  dectisque  dabant.  ■ — 
prolemque  :  hvpermetric.  Intr. 
69. 

49  ff.  quae  :  with  veneratur, 
prays  for  'with  sacrifice  of,  etc.  — 
bobus  .  .  .  albis :  offered  to  Jupi- 
ter on  the  first  day,  on  the  second 
to  Juno.  The  prayer,  preserved 
in  the  inscription,  was  for  the 
safety  and  exaltation  of  the  Ro- 
man state  and  its  arms.  —  clarus 


Anchisae,  etc.  The  phrase  is  a 
solemn  paraphrase  for  Augustus, 
but  at  the  same  time  it  emphasized 
the  connection  of  the  present  with 
the  beginnings  of  the  state  (cf. 
Romulae  genti) .  —  bellante  prior : 
continuing  the  prayer  in  impetret. 
With  the  sentiment,  cf.  Vergil  A. 
6,  853  par  cere  subiectis  et  debellare 
super  bos. 

53  ff.  iam :  marking  the  follow- 
ing as  victories  already  secure.  — 
Medus,  Scythae,  Indi :  cf.  4,  1 5, 
21  ff.  and  n.  Also  Ovid  Trist. 
2,  227  f.  nunc  petit  Armenius  pa- 
cetn,  nunc  porrigit  arcus  \  Par- 
thus  eques  timida  captaque  signa 
manu.  —  Albanas :  having  the  same 
connotation  as  Romulae  v.  47,  An- 
chisae Venerisque  v.  50. — respon- 
sa   petunt :  as    from    a   god.     Cf. 


395 


57-7°] 


HORATI 


lam  Fides  et  Pax  et  Honor  Pudorque 
priscus  et  neglecta  redire  Virtus 
audet,  adparetque  beata  pleno 
60  Copia  cornu. 

Augur  et  fulgente  decorus  arcu 
Phoebus  acceptusque  novem  Camenis, 
qui  salutari  levat  arte  fessos 
corporis  artus, 

65  si  Palatinas  videt  aequus  aras, 

remque  Romanam  Latiumque  felix 
alterum  in  lustrum  meliusque  semper 
prorogat  aevum ; 

quaeque  Aventinum  tenet  Algidumque 
70  quindecim  Diana  preces  virorum 


Apoll.  Sid.  Epist.  8,  9,  20  dtan 
re  spans  a  petit  subnet  lis  or  bis. 

57  ff.  Peace  and  her  compan- 
ions.—  Fides:  cf.  i,  35,  21. — 
Pax :  Peace  had  an  altar  on  the 
Campus  Martins,  built  at  Augus- 
tus' direction. — Honor:  to  whom 
with  Virtus  Marcellus  dedicated  a 
temple  in  205  B.C.  — Pudor  :  cf.  i, 
24,  6  f.  — Copia:  cf.  i,  17,  14. 

61-72.  The  closing  prayer  is  to 
Apollo,  the  augur,  god  of  the  silver 
bow,  leader  of  the  Muses,  and  god 
of  healing.  —  fulgente  .  .  .  arcu : 
of  silver;  the  Homeric  dpyupdro^os- 
—  Camenis:  cf.  i,  12,  39. 

63  f.  qui  salutari,  etc. :  'AttoA- 
Acov  Ilatwv.     Cf  1,21,  1 3  f. 

65  ff.  si :  expressing  the  same 
confidence  as  in  v.  37. — Palati- 
nas . . .  aras  :  where  the  hymn  was 


sung.  — aequus :  with  favor ;  cf. 
iniquus  I,  2,  47.^ — remque  Ro- 
manam Latiumque :  calling  to  mind 
Ennius'  verse  478  M.  qui  rem  Ro- 
manam Latiumque  augescere  vol- 
tis.  — felix :  proleptic  with  Latium, 
—  in  prosperity.  —  que  .  .  .  que: 
observe  the  archaic  usage :  the 
first  -que  does  not  connect  videt 
and  prorogat,  but  is  correlative 
with  the  second.  —  alterum :  a 
new.  Augustus'  imperium  was 
renewed  for  five  years  in  17  B.C.  ; 
but  the  idea  is  rather,  '  from  lus- 
trum to  lustrum' ;  as  semper  clearly 
shows. 

69  ff.  Diana's  chief  temple  at 
Rome  was  built  on  the  Aventine 
at  an  early  period  —  later  tradi- 
tion ascribed  its  founding  to  Ser- 
vius    Tullus  —  to   be    a    common 


396 


CARMEN   SAECVLARE 


[71-76 


75 


curat  et  votis  puerorum  arnicas 
adplicat  auris. 

Haec  lovem  sentire  deosque  cunctos 
spem  bonam  certamque  domum  reporto, 
doctus  et  Phoebi  chorus  et  Dianae 
dicere  laudes. 


sanctuary  for  the  Latin  tribes.  — 
Algidum  :  the  shrine  of  Diana 
Nemorensis  was  on  the  slopes  of 
this  ridge.  Cf.  n.  to  i,  21,  6. — 
quindecim  .  .  .  virorum :  the  sacred 
college  in  charge  of  the  Sibylline 
Books :  the  members  led  by  Au- 
gustus and  Agrippa,  had  charge 
of  all  the  ceremonies  of  the  festi- 
val.—  puerorum:  the  children,  in- 
cluding both  boys  and  girls,  as  in 
ancient  usage.  Cf.  Naev.  30  M. 
Cereris  puer,  Proserpina. 

73  ff.    The   hymn   closes   with 


an  expression  of  confident  belief 
that  all  the  prayers  and  hopes  ex- 
pressed will  be  fulfilled.  —  haec  : 
referring  to  the  last  three  strophes. 

—  sentire  :    depending   on   spem. 

—  reporto:  the  singular  is  used 
after  the  manner  of  a  Greek 
chorus.  Cf.  4,  6,  41. —  doctus: 
cf.  docilis  \,  6,  43.  —  Phoebi  .  .  . 
Dianae :  modifying  both  chorus 
and  laudes.  Note  that  the  hymn 
closes  with  the  mention  of  the  two 
divinities  named  in  the  opening 
verse. 


397 


EPODON    LIBER 

For  a  general  account  of  the  Epodes  and  the  conditions  under  which 
they  were  written,  see  Intr.  4. 


Addressed  to  Maecenas  in  the  spring  of  31  B.C.,  when  he  was 
about  to  leave  Rome.  Antony  and  Cleopatra  had  spent  the  winter  of 
32-31  B.C.  at  Patrae,  while  their  fleet  of  five  hundred  vessels  had 
remained  on  guard  at  Actium.  When  the  spring  opened.  Octavian  sum- 
moned the  most  influential  senators  and  knights  to  meet  him  at  Brun- 
disium,  before  he  crossed  to  Epirus  to  engage  in  the  final  struggle. 
Maecenas  naturally  was  to  go  with  the  rest.  Dio  Cassius,  51,3,  tells  us 
that  Maecenas  was  left  in  charge  of  Italy  during  Octavian "s  absence,  so 
that  it  is  generally  assumed  that  he  was  not  present  at  the  battle  of 
Actium.  On  the  other  hand,  an  anonymous  elegy,  regarded  by  BUche- 
ler  as  contemporary,  speaks  of  him  as  actually  present  ae/nfreta  Nilia- 
cae  texerunt  laeta  carinae  \  fortis  erat  circnvu  fortis  et  ante  ducem. 
PLM.  I,  122  fF.  However,  the  evidence  is  inconclusive;  yet  it  seems 
clear  from  Horace's  words  that  at  the  time  he  wrote  this  epode  he  ex- 
pected Maecenas  to  share  in  the  dangers  of  the  coming  struggle.  He 
remonstrates  with  his  patron  for  his  readiness  to  run  all  risks  (1-4)  ; 
assures  him  of  his  own  devotion  and  willingness  to  share  every  danger, 
and  of  his  anxiety,  if  he  be  forced  to  stay  behind  (5-22)  ;  and  closes 
with  the  protestation  that  it  is  not  selfish  hope  of  gain  that  moves  him : 
Maecenas  has  given  him  all  he  can  desire  (23-34).  The  last  verses 
bear  the  emphasis  of  the  epode.     Horace's  devotion  is  unselfish. 

This  epode  serves  as  a  dedication  of  the  collection  to  Maecenas. 
There  is  a  warmth  of  expression  in  it  that  Horace  does  not  employ 
elsewhere.     Metre,  74. 


398 


EPODON   LIBER 


[1,6 


Ibis  Liburnis  inter  alta  navium, 

amice,  propugnacula, 
paratus  omne  Caesaris  periculum 

subire,  Maecenas,  tuo. 
Quid  nos,  quibus  te  vita  si  superstite 

iucunda,  si  contra,  gravis  ? 


1.  ibis:  yon  are  then  really 
going.  Emphatic  as  ferenms  v. 
II.  So  Tibullus  I,  3, 1  says  in  his 
address  to  Messala,  who  left  him 
behind  in  Corcyra  when  travel- 
ing to  the  East  in  30  B.C.,  ibitis 
Aegaeas  sine  ine,  Messala,  per 
undas. — Liburnis :  in  contrast  with 
the  alta  navium  propugnacula  — 
lofty  battletnented  ships  —  of  An- 
tony and  Cleopatra.  These  huge 
galleons,  some  of  which  had  as 
many  as  nine  banks  of  oars,  proved 
no  match  for  the  small  swift  two- 
banked  Lihurnae  of  Octavian's 
fleet ;  the  latter,  modeled  after  the 
vessels  used  by  the  Libiirnian 
pirates  in  the  imperial  period, 
formed  the  chief  part  of  the  Roman 
navy.  Antony  had  felt  his  ships 
invincible.  According  to  Dio 
Cassius  50,  18,  he  called  to  his 
troops,  opare  yap  ttov  /cat  auroi  kuX 
TO  /xe'ye^os  Kal  to  ■rra.xo';  twv  T^/xere- 
pojv  (TKaffyw.  Cf.  also  Vergil's 
description  of  the  battle,  A.  8, 
691-693  pelago  credas  innare  re- 
volsas  I  Cycladas,  ant  mantis  con- 
currere  ?nontibus  altos:  \  tanta 
mole  viri  turriiis  ptippibiis  in- 
stant. 

4.   tuo  :  sc.  periculo. 


5  f .  nos :  i.e.  /  and  such  as  I. 
The  plural  of  modesty,  which  Hor- 
ace uses  in  his  lyrics  only  here  and 
C.  I,  6,. 5.  17;  2,  17,  32;  3,  28,9. 
While  we  employ  a  verb  in  trans- 
lating, it  is  improbable  that  the 
Romans  were  conscious  of  any 
ellipsis  in  such  phrases  as  this.  — 
si  superstite,  etc. :  the  apparent 
use  of  si  with  the  abl.  abs.  is 
anomalous.  te  superstite  alone 
would  form  a  protasis  to  vita  .  .  . 
iucunda,  and  we  should  expect  as 
the  alternative,  te  niortuo  {vita) 
gravis.  To  avoid  the  ominous  te 
niortuo,  Horace  euphemistically 
says  si  contra,  with  which  some 
such  verb  as  vivitur,  or,  as  Por- 
phyrio  suggests,  sit,  is  necessary  ; 
this  construction  has  its  influence 
on  the  preceding  clause,  so  that 
we  must  regard  the  entire  relative 
sentence  as  a  condensed  form  for 
quibus  vita  si  te  superstite  (sit), 
iucunda,  si  contra  (sit),  gravis. 
The  ellipsis  is  somewhat  similar  to 
that  in  v.  8  below,  ni  tecum  simul 
(persequemur),  etc.  —  superstite  : 
superstes  here  means  'living  on,' 
elsewhere  in  the  epodes  and  odes 
'  out-living,"  •  surviving  another's 
death.' 


399 


1.7] 


HORATI 


15 


utrumne  iussi  persequemur  otium, 

non  dulce,  ni  tecum  simul, 
an  hunc  laborem,  mente  laturi  decet 

qua  ferre  non  mollis  viros  ? 
Feremus,  et  te  vel  per  Alpium  iuga 

inhospitalem  et  Caucasum, 
vel  Occidentis  usque  ad  ultimum  sinum 

forti  sequemur  pectore. 
Roges  tuum  labore  quid  iuvem  meo, 

imbellis  ac  firmus  parum  ? 
Comes  minore  sum  futurus  in  metu, 

qui  maior  absentis  habet, 


7.  utrumne :  a  combination  of 
two  interrogatives  introduced  by 
Horace,  who  uses  it  only  here  and 
in  6".  2,  3,  251  ;  6,  73.  It  is  em- 
ployed by  Curtius,  Pliny,  and  other 
later  prose  writers.  —  iussi  f  so.  a 
te,  at  thy  bidding.  Horace's  re- 
quest to  be  allowed  to  accompany 
Maecenas  had  already  been  re- 
fused.—  persequemur  otium:  give 
ourselves  up  to  a  life  of  ease. 

8.  ni  tecum:  cf.  n.  on  v.  5. 
gf.  laborem:  in  contrast  to  otium 

V.  7.  By  a  slight  zeugma  con- 
nected with  persequemur,  whereas 
the  more  natural  verb  with  it  is 
fero,  which  is  used  in  the  relative 
clause  immediately  following.  — 
laturi:  ready  to  bear.  Intr.  no. 
II  f.  feremus:  the  position 
and  form  show  Horace's  emphatic 
resolve.  —  Alpium,  Caucasum :  the 
Alps  and  the  Caucasus  were  stock 
examples  of  hardships.  — inhospi- 
talem Caucasum :  repeated  C.  i,  22, 


6  and  adopted  by  Seneca,  Thyest. 
1052  qjiis  inhospitalis  Caucasi  ru- 
petn  asperam  Heiiiochus  habitans  f 
For  the  position  of  et,  see  Intr. 

SI- 
IS.    sinum:    recess,   expressing 
the  remoteness  of  the  western  sea. 
Cf.  Verg.  G.  2,  122  India  .  .  .  ex- 
tremi  sinus  or  bis. 

15.  roges :  equivalent  to  si 
roges.  —  tuum  .  .  .  meo :  parallel 
in  form  to  Caesaris  periculum  sub- 
ire,  Maecenas,  tuo  3  f. 

16.  imbellis  ac  firmus  parum: 
cf.  the  Homeric  dTrroAe/xos  kox 
avaA/cis-  Horace  laughs  at  him- 
self for  running  away  at  Philippi 
C.  2,  7, 8  flf.  (Intr.  p.  11);  the  sec- 
ond half  of  his  description  here 
probably  refers  to  his  poor  health. 
—  parum:  cf.  C.  i,  12,  59  and  n. 
to  I,  2,  27. 

17  f.  An  appeal  to  Maecenas' 
friendship,  '  I  do  not  claim  that  I 
can  help  you,  but  I  beg  you,  save 


400 


EPODON   LIBER 


[1.27 


25 


ut  adsidens  implumibus  puUis  avis 

serpentium  adlapsiis  timet 
magis  relictis,  non,  ut  adsit,  auxili 

latura  plus  praesentibus. 
Libenter  hoc  et  omne  militabitur 

bellum  in  tuae  spem  gratiae, 
non  ut  iuvencis  inligata  pluribus 

aratra  nitantur  meis 
pecusve  Calabris  ante  sidus  fervidum 


me  from  the  fears  that  absence 
and  anxiety  bring.'  —  maior  habet : 
has  a  stro7iger  hold. 

19-22.  The  comparison  of  the 
mother  bird  who  fears  for  her 
chicks  is  old  and  familiar  in  litera- 
ture. Cf.  Aesch.  Sept.  291  ff. 
SpaKovras  8  ws  Tts  TiKV<S)V  \  inrefjoe- 
BoLKev  Xe^aiiDv  8v(jevvdTopa<;  \  irav- 
Tpo/JLO^  TreAeias-  'As  a  fostering 
dove  fears  the  snakes,  ill  mates  for 
her  nestlings.'  Cf.  also  Mosch. 
4,  21  ff.  and  especially  Claudian 
Rapt.  Proserp.  3,  141  ff.  sic  aestuat 
ales,  I  quae  teneros  huniili  fetus 
commiserit  orno  \  allatura  cibos  et 
plurima  cogitat  absens,  \  lie  grad- 
ient ventus  discusserit  arbore  ni- 
dicm,  I  ne  furtum  pateat  homini 
tiett  praeda  colubris. 

—  puUis  :  dative,  more  closely 
connects  with  timet  than  with  ad- 
sidens; (Intr.  100)  the  latter  may 
be  translated  attributively  with 
avis,  the  brooding  mother  bird, 
thus  expressing  the  condition 
rather  than  the  act. 

21  f.  ut  adsit :  eveti  if  she  were 
with  them.  —  non  latura  :  conces- 

HOR.  CAR.  —  26  40 


sive,  though  she  could  not  give.  — 
praesentibus :  repeating  adsit  in 
sense,  but  added  in  contrast  to 
relictis.  This  use  of  repetition 
to  express  the  reciprocal  relation 
is  common  in  Latin,  and  is  most 
clearly  seen  in  such  examples  as 
Plaut.  Pseud.  1142  tute  praesetis 
praesenteni  vides,  or  Verg.  A.  4, 
83  ilium  absens  absentem  audit- 
que  videtque. 

24.  in  spem :  to  further  my 
hope.  Cf.  C.  I,  7,  8  in  lunonis 
honor  em.  —  tuae  .  .  .  gratiae : 
favor  in  thy  sight. 

25  f.  non  ut,  etc. :  emphatically 
placed  to  deny  the  possible  charge 
of  selfishness.  —  nitantur:  the 
oxen's  efforts  in  dragging  the 
plow,  —  suggesting  a  heavy,  fertile 
soil,  —  is  transferred  to  the  plow 
itself.     Intr.  99. 

27  f.  Cf.  C.  I,  31,  5  non  aes- 
tuosae  grata  Calabriae  ar  merit  a. 
In  the  heat  of  summer  the  flocks 
were  driven  from  the  rich  pas- 
tures of  low  Calabria  to  the 
higher  lands  of  Lucania  and  Sam- 
nium.      Cf.  Varro  R.  R.  2,   i,  6 


1,-28] 


HORATl 


Lucana  mutet  pascuis, 
neque  ut  superni  villa  candens  Tusculi 
30  Circaea  tangat  moenia. 

Satis  superque  me  benignitas  tua 

ditavit ;  baud  paravero 
quod  aut  avarus  ut  Chremes  terra  premam, 

discinctus  aut  perdam  nepos. 


greges  ovhwt  lotige  abiguntiir  ex 
Apulia  in  Samniutn  aestivatiim. 
—  mutet :  for  the  varying  construc- 
tions with  mutare,  see  Intr.  98. 

29  f.  The  lofty  ridge  of  Tuscu- 
lum,  on  the  northeast  side  of  the 
Alban  Hills,  about  fifteen  miles 
from  Rome,  was  a  favorite  resort 
in  antiquity,  as  it  has  been  in  mod- 
ern times.  The  northern  slope 
was  then  as  now  occupied  by  vil- 
las ;  Cicero,  Julius  Caesar,  Lucul- 
lus,  and  others  possessed  country 
homes  there.  The  buildings  had 
stucco,  or  possibly  in  some  cases 
marble,  walls,  whose  gleam  (villa 
candens)  could  be  seen  from  Rome, 
as  the  present  villas  can  to-day. 

—  Circaea  moenia :  so  named 
because  tradition  said  that  Tele- 
gonus,  the  son  of  Circe  by  Ulysses, 
founded  Tusculum.     So  the  town 


is  called  C.  3,  29,  8  Telegoni  iuga 
Parricidae.  —  tangat :   border  on 
Cf.  Cic.  pro  Mil.  5 1  villam  quae 
viam  tangeret. 

31.  satis  superque :  note  the  em- 
phasis. With  the  sentiment,  cf.  C. 
2,18,  12  7iec  potentem  amicum  lar- 
giora  fiagito,  and  C.  3,  16,  38  nee, 
si  plura  velim,  tii  dare  deneges. 

32  f .  baud  paravero :  also 
emphatic ;  /  will  never  try  to 
amass  wealth,  etc.  —  avarus  ut 
Chremes :  like  a  greedy  Chremes, 
—  a  typical  miser,  probably  from 
some  drama  now  lost.  No  miser 
Chremes  appears  in  our  extant 
plays,  although  the  name  is  com- 
mon enough.  On  the  position  of 
ut,  cf.  V.  12  above.     Intr.  31. 

34.  discinctus  .  .  .  nepos :  loose 
spendthrift,  in  the  same  construc- 
tion as  avarus  Chremes. 


In  praise  of  country  life. 

'  "  Free  from  the  busy  rusli  of  town,  how  fortunate  is  he  who  can  till  his 
ancestral  fields,  care  for  his  vines,  his  orchards,  flocks,  and  bees  (1-16). 
His  are  the  delights  of  autumn,  summer,  and  winter  (17-36).  These 
make  one  forget  the  pains  of  love  (37-38)  ;  and  if  there  be  beside  a 
sturdy,  honest  housewife  to  do  her  part,  care  for  the  children,  milk  the 
ewes,  prepare  the  evening  meal,  what  life  more  joyful  !     Not  all  the 

402 


EPODON   LIBER  [2,-6 

dainties  of  a  city  table  can  compare  with  the  country's  simple  meal, 
which  I  enjoy,  watching  the  sheep  and  cattle  come  at  evening's  fall, 
while  round  the  bright  hearth  sit  the  slaves  (39-66)."  So  spoke  the 
broker  Alfius,  who  straightway  planned  to  foreclose  his  mortgages  — 
and  to  put  his  money  out  again  '  (67-70). 

The  sudden  turn  in  the  last  four  verses  is  very  characteristic  of  Hor- 
ace, but  it  gives  us  no  reason  for  doubting  the  sincerity  of  his  praise 
of  rural  life.  He  was  a  man  of  real  simplicity  and  of  great  sensitiveness  ; 
but  like  every  conventional  man  of  the  world,  shrank  from  too  great 
enthusiasms  :  he  will  never  preach,  and  when  he  feels  himself  approach- 
ing the  danger  line,  he  pulls  himself  up  suddenly,  as  here,  with  a  whim- 
sical, half  cynical  turn.  Another  famous  example,  in  which  the  serious 
note  is  not  so  long  continued,  is  the  Integer  vitae,  C.  i,  22.  There  is 
no  hint  of  the  date  of  composition.     Metre,  74. 

Beatus  ille  qui  procul  negotiis, 

ut  prisca  gens  mortalium, 
paterna  rura  bobus  exercet  suis, 

solutus  omni  faenore, 
5  neque  excitatur  classico  miles  truci, 

neque  horret  iratum  mare, 

I  S.   This  is  similar  to  a  frag-  folk  of  the  Golden  Age.  —  paterna 

ment  of  Aristophanes  in  praise  of  ...  suis  :  the  fortunate  farmer  is  he 

peace  387  K.  a»  /xwpe.  fjiSype  iravra  who  has  inherited  his  lands,  which 

Tavr' ev  r^8' (sc  dpijvrj)  evi  \  oIkelv  he  works  (exercet)  with  his  own 

fikv    apyov     avrov    ev    tw    yi^S/o»  oxen ;    such  is   a  dowmus,  not  a 

I    dTToAAayeVra    twv    Kar     ayopav  mere  colomis.     No  mortgage  vexes 

TTpay/Aartov  |  K€KTr)p.evov  ^tvyapiov  him  ;  secure  in  his  own  estate  he 

oiKdov  (SooLV,  I  eireLT    aKoveiv  irpo-  can    enjoy    the    freedom    of    his 

/8artW    (iX.-q-)(jb}p.€vtjiv .       '  Foolish,  country  life. 

foolish  man,  peace  has  everything  4.    faenore :    the  double  mean- 

—  living   without    hard   work    on  ing  — '  money  borrowing,'  '  money 

one's  bit  of  land,   free   from  the  lending '  —  of  the  word  is  not  ap- 

troubles  of  the  market-place,  wdth  parent  until  v.  67. 
one's  own  little  yoke  of  oxen  ;  and  5-8.    The    farmer   escapes   the 

besides,  the  hearing  of  the  bleating  stress  of  war,  the  danger  of  the 

sheep.'  —  negotiis  :    in   a   narrow  sea,  the  worry  of  courts,  and  the 

sense,  like  our 'business.'  haughtiness   of   patrons.     Cf.  the 

2  f .    prisca    gens :     the   ancient  reminiscence   of    these   verses   in 

403 


2,7] 


HORATI 


'S 


forumque  vitat  et  superba  civium 

potentiorum  limina. 
Ergo  aut  adulta  vitium  propagine 

altas  maritat  populos, 
aut  in  reducta  valle  mugientium 

prospectat  errantis  greges, 
inutilisve  falce  ramos  amputans 

feliciores  inserit, 
aut  pressa  puris  mella  condit  amphoris, 

aut  tondet  infirmas  ovis  ; 


Claudian  Carm.  vihi.  52,  7  f .  non 
freta  tnercator  tretnuit,  non  clas- 
sica  miles ;  \  non  7'aud  lites  pertu- 
lit  ille fori.  — superba  .  .  .  limina: 
referring  to  the  morning  call,  salu- 
tatio,  and  the  humiliations  to  which 
clients  were  exposed  from  their 
patrons.  Imitated  by  Seneca, 
Epist.  68,  \o  pulsare  superbas  po- 
tentiorum fores. 

9.  ergo  :  and  so,  being  free  from 
such  cares. — adulta:  according 
to  Columella,  when  three  years  old. 
In  this  word  lurks  the  figurative 
sense  —  '  old  enough  for  marriage.' 
—  propagine  :  shoot,  properly  the 
'  layer '  by  which  new  vines  were  ob- 
tained.    See  Class.  Diet,  s.wvitis. 

10.  maritat  populos  :  the  black 
poplar  was  considered  second  only 
to  the  elm  as  a  support  for  grape 
vines.  The  '  wedding '  of  the  vine 
and  tree  seems  to  have  been  a 
farmer's  expression  that  established 
itself  early  in  literature ;  so  Cato 
says  R.  R.  32  arbores  facito  ut 
bene  maritae  sint.     Milton  adopts 


the  figure  P.  L.  z^  '  or  they  led  the 
vine  I  To  wed  her  elm ;  she. 
spoused,  about  him  twines  |  Her 
marriageable  arms.'  The  plane 
tree  which  has  a  thick  foliage  was 
unfitted  for  this  purpose ;  so  C. 
2,  15,  4  plat  amis  caelebs. 

II  f.  in  reducta  valle  :  repeated 
C.  I,  17,  17.  Connect  with  er- 
rantis.—  mugientium:  used  sub- 
stantively like  Vergil's  balantum 
gregem,  G.  i,  272,  for  sheep. 

13  f.  ramos:  of  fruit  trees. — 
feliciores :  more  fruitful.  The 
root  appears  infe-mina,fe-cnndas. 
—  inserit :  grafts,  a  technical  term. 
Cf.  insitiva,  v.  19. 

15  f.  Note  the  alliteration.  — 
pressa  .  .  .  mella :  after  as  much 
honey  had  drained  out  as  naturally 
would,  the  comb  was  pressed  to 
extract  the  remainder.  Cf.  Verg. 
G.  4,  140  f.  spumantia  cogere 
pressis  mella  favis.  —  infirmas : 
weak,  and  so  unresisting.  A  stock 
epithet;  cf.  Ovid.  lb.  44  pecus 
infirmuin . 


404 


EPODOX    LIBER 


[2,  26 


'5 


vel,  cum  decorum  mitibus  pomis  caput 

autumnus  agris  extulit, 
ut  gaudet  insitiva  decerpens  pira, 

certantem  et  uvam  purpurae, 
qua  muneretur  te,  Priape,  et  te,  pater 

Silvane,  tutor  finium. 
Libet  iacere  modo  sub  antiqua  ilice, 

modo  in  tenaci  gramine  ; 
labuntur  altis  interim  ripis  aquae, 

queruntur  in  silvis  aves, 


17  f.  decorum  :  decked.  —  au- 
tumnus :  personified  as  C.  4,  7.  11 
pomifer  atittmimis.  Cf.  Colum. 
R.  R.  10,  43  antuninus  quassans 
sua  tempora  pomis. —  agris  :  prob- 
ably dative. 

19  f.  insitiva  :  implying  a  better 
sort.  —  decerpens  :  with  gaudet, 
^Serai  Spiirwv.  This  Greek  con- 
struction of  a  participle  agreeing 
with  the  subject  after  a  verb  of 
emotion  is  rare  and  poetical.  Cf. 
Epist.  2,  2,  loj  gaudent  scribentes. 
—  purpurae  :  poetic  usage  allows 
the  dative  with  certare,  while  in 
prose  we  find  the  ablative.  The 
grape  as  it  ripens  takes  on  a  color 
that  rivals  the  '  royal  purple.'  Cf 
n.  to  C.  2,  5,  12. 

21  f.  muneretur:  potential,  ex- 
pressing suitability. — Priape:  a 
Hellespontic  divinity,  peculiarly 
the  genius  of  the  garden,  who  was 
represented  by  a  rude  wooden 
statue  that  also  served  the  useful 
purpose  of  scaring  away  the  birds. 
Cf.  S.  I,  8,  I  ff.  (Priapus  speaks) 


Olit/i  truncus  eram  Jiculnus,  inu- 
tile lignum,  I  cum  faber,  incertus 
scamnum  faceretne  Priaptwi,  \ 
maltiit  esse  deum.  deus  inde  ego, 
furum  aiiiumque  \  maxima  for- 
mida.  —  Silvane:  an  ancient  Ital- 
ian divinity  of  the  wood  and  field, 
protector  of  flocks  (Verg.  A.  8, 
601  arvonitn pecorisque  deus),  and 
guardian  of  the  farm  boundaries. 
Cf.  Gromat.  i,  p.  302  primus  in 
terram  lapidem  finaletn  posuit 
(sc.  Silvanus). 

24.  tenaci :  i.e.  with  firm  hold 
on  the  rich  soil,  not  easily  pulled 
up  like  grass  that  grows  where  the 
soil  is  thin ;  hence  luxuriant, 
deep. 

25.  interim :  i.e.  while  we  lie  in 
the  deep  grass.  —  ripis  :  instru- 
mental abl.  denoting  the  route 
taken,  between  the  banks ;  cf. 
Lucret.  2,  362  flumina  summis 
labentia  ripis. 

26  f .  queruntur :  the  low  sad 
notes  of  the  birds  are  heard  in  the 
distance,  while  the  rustle  of  the 


405 


2,  27] 


HORATI 


frondesque  lymphis  obstrepunt  manantibus, 

somnos  quod  invitet  levis. 
At  cum  tonantis  annus  hibernus  lovis 
30  imbris  nivisque  comparat, 

aut  trudit  acris  hinc  et  hinc  multa  cane 

apros  in  obstantis  plagas, 
aut  amite  levi  rara  tendit  retia, 
turdis  edacibus  dolos, 
35  pavidumque  leporem  et  advenam  laqueo  gruem 

iucunda  captat  praemia. 
Quis  non  malarum  quas  amor  curas  habet 

haec  inter  obliviscitur  ? 
Quod  si  pudica  mulier  in  partem  iuvet 
40  domum  atque  dulcis  liberos, 


leaves  vies  and  mingles  with^the 
murmuring  waters.  Cf.  Prop.  5, 
4,  4  inultaque  nativis  obstrepit 
arbor  aquis. 

28.  quod  invitet :  a  sound  to 
woo.  — levis :  gentle,  not  the  heavy 
sleep  of  exhaustion. 

29  ff.  Horace  now  turns  to  the 
delights  of  winter.  In  contrast  to 
the  fair  and  quiet  weather,  we  now 
have  tonantis  .  .  .  lovis.  —  annus: 
season,  as  C.  3,  23,  8  pomifer 
.  .  .  atinus,  i.e.  autttmrnis. 

31-36.  Three  winter  sports  — 
hunting  the  wild  boar,  catching 
thrushes,  and  snaring  the  hare  and 
the  crane.  These  are  followed 
39-48  by  three  typical  occupations 
of  the  good  housewife. 

31.  cane:  the  singular  repre- 
sents the  class.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  i, 
334  ?nulta  tibi  .  .  .  cadet  hostia. 


32  ff.  obstantis  plagas  :  the  toils 
into  which  the  boar  was  driven 
by  the  beaters  and  the  dogs. — 
amite  levi :  the  smooth  pole  of 
the  wide-meshed  (rara)  spring- 
net.  For  the  scansion,  see  Intr. 
58.  —  turdis  edacibus  :  cf.  Mart. 
3,  58,  26  sed  tendit  avidis  rete 
subdoliun  turdis. 

35.  For  the  scansion,  see  Intr. 
58.  —  advenam  :  wandering,  the 
stranger. 

37.  curas  :  the  substantive  com- 
mon to  both  antecedent  and 
relative  clauses.  —  amor:  passion. 
Horace  is  thinking  of  city  in- 
trigues in  contrast  to  the  domestic 
happiness  implied  in  the  following 
lines. 

39.  in  partem :  for  her  part  ; 
i.e.  '  does  her  share  in  caring  for,' 
etc. 


406 


ErODON   IJBER 


[2,53 


Sabina  qualis  aut  perusta  solibus 

pernicis  uxor  Apuli, 
sacrum  vetustis  exstruat  lignis  focum 

lassi  sub  adventum  viri, 
45  claudensque  textis  cratibus  laetum  pecus 

distenta  siccet  ubera, 
et  horna  dulci  vina  promens  dolio 

dapes  inemptas  adparet ; 
non  me  Lucrina  iuverint  conchylia 
so  magisve  rhombus  aut  scari, 

si  quos  Eois  intonata  fluctibus 

hiems  ad  hoc  vertat  mare  ; 
non  Afra  avis  descendat  in  ventrem  meum, 


41.  The  Sabine  women  were 
the  ideal  farmers'  wives  (C.  3,  6, 
37  ff.)  ;  the  Apulians  were  noted 
for  their  industry  (C  3,  16,  26). 

43  f .  sacrum  .  .  .  focum :  made 
sacred  by  being  the  shrine  of  the 
household  gods.  —  vetustis  :  there- 
fore '  dry,'  '  seasoned.'  —  sub  : 
against.  Cf.  Gray's  Elegy  'For 
them  no  more  the  blazing  hearth 
shall  burn,  |  Or  busy  housewife  ply 
her  evening  care.' 

45.  textis  cratibus :  in  wattled 
folds.  —  laetum :  sturdy,  lusty. 

47  f .  horna  .  .  .  vina  :  the  com- 
mon folk  drank  the  wine  the  same 
year  it  was  pressed,  without  ferment- 
ing it ;  hence  the  adjective  dulci. 
The  finer  wines  were  fermented  in 
dolia  and  then  drawn  off  into  am- 
phorae., which  were  sealed  and  put 
away.  —  inemptas  :  therefore  sim- 
ple and  doubly  sweet.     Cf.  Verg. 


G.  4,  133  dapibus  tnensas  on  era- 
bat  inemptis. 

49  ff .  The  apodosis  begins  here. 
Five  dainties  of  the  luxurious  city 
table  are  set  off  against  five  articles 
of  country  diet.  —  Lucrina  .  .  .  con- 
chylia :  the  Lucrine  lake  near 
Baiae  produced  the  best  oysters, 
which  are  meant  here.  — -  scari :  so 
highly  esteemed  that  it  was  called 
by  Ennius,  Hediiphag.  8,  cerebrum 
lovis.  Cf.  also  Suidas  s.v.  Acos 
iyKi<f>aXo<i  •   to  KaXXtarov  ^pw/jua. 

51  f.  si  quos  :  the  scar  was 
most  common  in  the  eastern  half 
of  the  Mediterranean  sea,  the  coast 
of  Sicily  being  the  western  limit  of 
its  range.  It  was  believed  that 
storms  in  the  east  drove  the  fish 
westward.  —  intonata:  with  active 
meaning. 

53  f.  Afra  avis:  guinea-hen. 
According  to  Varro,  in   Horace's 


407 


2.54] 


HORATI 


non  attagen  lonicus 
55  iucundior  quam  lecta  de  pinguissimis 

oliva  ramis  arborum, 
aut  herba  lapathi  prata  amantis  et  gravi 

malvae  salubres  corpori, 
vel  agna  festis  caesa  Terminalibus, 
60  vel  haedus  ereptus  lupo. 

Has  inter  epulas  ut  iuvat  pastas  ovis 

videre  properantis  domum, 
videre  fessos  vomerem  inversum  boves 

collo  trahentis  languido, 


day  a  new  and  costly  delicacy  from 
Numidia.  —  attagen  :  a  kind  of 
grouse ;  another  dainty  from  the 
East.  St.  Jerome  warns  his  friend 
against  luxury  of  the  table,  using 
this  bird  as  a  typical  article,  ad 
Salvin.  79  procul  sitit  a  convivits 
tuts  Phasides  aves,  crassi  hcrtiires, 
attagen  lonicus. 

55.  iucundior:  predicate, ^/w>/^ 
greater  satisfaction.  —  pinguissi- 
mis :  the  epithet  is  transferred  from 
the  fruit  to  the  branches  on  which 
it  grows.     Intr.  99. 

57  f.  For  the  scansion,  see  Intr. 
58.  —  herba  lapathi  :  sorrel,  for 
salad. — gravi.  .  .  corpori :  from  the 
indigestion  caused  by  overeating. 

59  f.  The  simple  country  diet 
is  relieved  by  fresh  meat  only  on 
some  holyday  when  sacrifice  is 
made,  or  when  some  chance  offers. 
It  was  a  proverb  that  the  wolf 
selected  the  choicest  of  the  flock. 
Plut.  Syntpos.  2,  9  ra  XvKo/ipwTa 
\cycTai  TO  fxkv   Kpeas   yXvKVTarov 


Trape\uv.  At  the  present  time  also 
fresh  meat  is  a  great  rarity  to  the 
Italian  peasant.  —  Terminalibus  : 
this  festival  to  Terminus,  the  god 
of  boundaries,  fell  on  February  23. 
It  is  described  by  Ovid.  Fasti  2, 
639  ff.  The  blood  offering  was 
either  a  lamb  or  sucking  pig;  cf. 
Fast.  655  f.  spargitnr  et  caeso 
communis  Terminus  agno  \  nee 
queritur  lactans  cum  sibi  porca 
datur.  —  lupo :  dative  with  ereptus. 

61-66.  This  picture  with  its 
expression  of  quiet  joy  forms  a 
fitting  close  to  the  preceding  de- 
scription. Notice  that  the  rapid 
movement  of  61-62  is  followed  by 
the  slow  verses  63-64,  expressing 
the  quiet  return  of  the  weary  cattle 
at  the  close  of  day.  Cf.  Gray's 
Elegy,  '  The  curfew  tolls  the  knell 
of  parting  day,  |  The  lowing  herd 
winds  slowly  o'er  the  lea,'  |  etc. 

62  f .  videre  .  .  .  videre :  the 
anaphora  is  expressive  of  the 
farmer's  satisfaction.     Intr.  28  c. 


408 


EPODON   LIBER 


[2,  70 


65  positosque  vemas,  ditis  examen  domus, 

circum  renidentis  Laris. 
Haec  ubi  locutus  faenerator  Alfius, 

iam  iam  futurus  rusticus, 
omnem  redegit  Idibus  pecuniam  ; 
70  quaerit  Kalendis  ponere. 

65.  positosque  veraas  :  the 
home-born  slaves  in  their  places 
(at  supper).  Vernae  were  slaves 
born  within  the  house,  not  bought 
from  abroad.  Such  were  highly 
prized,  sold  only  from  necessity, 
and  formed  an  important  part  of  a 
well-to-do  house.  Cf.  Tibul.  2,  i, 
23  turbaqite  vernarum,  satiiri  bona 
signa  coloni.  On  the  scansion  of 
positos,  see  Intr.  58. 

66.  renidentis  :  the  polished 
images  of  the  household  gods, 
placed  about  the  hearth,  reflect  the 
firelight  and  seem  to  share  in  the 
satisfaction  of  the  scene. 

67  ff.  Horace  breaks  off  with 
this  unexpected  turn  which  is  not 
fully  understood  until  the  last  line 
is  reached,  as  if  he  would  say: 
•  But  I  am  getting  too  serious. 
Any   man,   even    an    Alfius,    can 


talk  this  way,  and  yet  have  no 
real  feeling  for  the  country ;  his 
enthusiasm  will  not  last  a  fort- 
night.' It  is  a  favorite  method 
with  Horace  to  hide  a  deeper  pur- 
pose behind  an  apparently  light 
expression. 

—  locutus:  sc.  est. — Alfius:  a 
well  known  faenerator  of  Cicero's 
da\',  whom  Horace  takes  as  typical. 
—  iam  iam :  intensive,  in  hot  haste 
to.  Cf.  Tac.  Ann.  i,  47,  5  iam 
iamque  ittirtis. — idibus  .  .  .  kalen- 
dis :  settlements  were  made  and 
new  arrangements  entered  into 
regularly  on  the  Calends,  Nones, 
or  Ides.  Alfius  called  in  (redegit) 
his  money  on  the  Ides,  but  before 
the  Calends  of  the  next  month 
came,  repented  of  his  enthusiasm 
for  country  life,  and  tried  to  invest 
(ponere)  his  wealth  again. 


With  comic  pathos  and  extravagance  Horace  inveighs  against  garlic, 
declaring  that  it  is  worse  than  all  the  drugs  and  poisons  known.  The 
occasion  of  Horace's  indignation  seems  to  have  been  a  fit  of  indigestion 
caused  by  a  salad,  of  which  garlic  had  been  an  ingredient,  offered  him 
at  Maecenas'  table.  In  his  distress  he  calls  down  vengeance  on  his 
friend.  This  epode  was  written  after  Horace  had  acquired  an  intimate 
footing  with  his  patron.  The  date  of  composition  cannot  be  more 
exactly  fixed.     Metre,  74. 

409 


3.1] 


HORATI 


Parentis  olim  si  quis  impia  manu 

senile  guttur  fregerit, 
edit  cicutis  alium  nocentius. 

O  dura  messorum  ilia  ! 
Quid  hoc  veneni  saevit  in  praecordiis  ? 

Num  viperinus  his  cruor 
incoctus  herbis  me  fefellit,  an  malas 

Canidia  tractavit  dapes  ? 
Vt  Argonautas  praeter  omnis  candidum 

Medea  mirata  est  ducem, 
ignota  tauris  inligaturum  iuga 

perunxit  hoc  lasonem ; 
hoc  delibutis  ulta  donis  paelicem 


I  ff.  The  parricide  shall  hence- 
forth be  punished  by  a  dose  of 
garlic,  surer  in  its  results  than  the 
hemlock  (cicutis)  that  carried  off 
Socrates. —  olim  :  ever.  —  guttur 
fregerit:  strangle,  as  C.  2,  13,  6 
fregisse  cervice)n.  —  edit :  the  old 
and  colloquial  form  of  the  subjunc- 
tive edat.  Cf.  Plant.  Trin.  339 
di  mendico  rtidle  meretiir  qui  e't 
dat  quod  edit  atit  bibat. 

4.  0  dura :  as  if  caught  by  a 
fresh  spasm  of  pain,  Horace  cries 
out  in  amazement  that  reapers 
(here  typical  of  all  classes  of 
toilers)  can  be  so  fond  of  garlic 
as  they  are.  Porphyrio  quotes 
Verg.  E.  2,  ID  f.  Thestylis  et 
rapido  fessis  'messoribus  aestu  \ 
alia  serptdlumque  herbas  contundit 
olentis. 

5.  quid  veneni  :  comically 
graphic,  like  Terence's  quid  nmlie- 
ris  uxor  em  habes?  Hec.  643. 


8.  Canidia :  for  an  account  of 
Canidia,  probably  a  dealer  in 
unguents  and  perfumes,  to  whom 
the  practice  of  poisoning  was 
attributed,  see  Epod.  5.  From 
Canidia  Horace  passes  to  the  queen 
of  poisoners,  Medea.  —  tractavit : 
had  a  finger  in.  Cf.  C.  2,  13,  8 
ille  venena  Cole  ha  .  .  .  tractavit. 

9  f .  praeter  omnis :  connect 
with  mirata  est.  —  candidum  :  used 
of  youthful  beauty  as  in  C  i,  18,  1 1 
candide  Bassareu. 

II.  tauris:  connected  with  ig- 
nota and  inligaturum  alike.  Intr. 
100. 

13  f.  When  Jason  deserted 
Medea  at  Corinth  for  King  Creon's 
daughter  Glauce,  Medea  avenged 
herself  by  sending  the  bride,  here 
opprobriously  called  paelicem,  a 
poisoned  robe  and  diadem,  which 
burst  into  flames  and  caused  her 
death.     Cf.  5,  63  ff.     Medea   es- 


410 


EPODON   LIBER  [4 

serpente  fugit  alite. 
15  Nee  tantus  umquam  siderum  insedit  vapor 

sitieulosae  Apuliae, 
nee  munus  umeris  efficaeis  Hereulis 

inarsit  aestuosius. 
At  si  quid  umquam  tale  concupiveris, 
JO  iocose  Maeeenas,  precor 

manum  puella  savio  opponat  tuo, 
extrema  et  in  sponda  cubet. 

caped  on  a  chariot  drawn  by  winged  lole.     Cf.  17,  31.  —  efficaeis  :  with 

snakes.  reference  to  the  successful  accom- 

—  hoc  :      emphatic    anaphora.  plishment  of  his  labors. 
Intr.  28  c.  19  ff.    The  close  of  the  epode  is 

15  f.   vapor :    heat.      Cf.    Sen.  a    comic  imprecation  against  the 

Oed.  47  gravis  et  ater  incubat  tern's  author  of  Horace's  distress . 
vapor.  —  sitieulosae   Apuliae:    cf.  — at:    regular  in  curses.     Cf. 

the    Homeric   iroXvUxpLov  *Apyos.  5,  i  ;  Catull.  3,  13  at   vobis   male 

The  heat  of  Apulia  is  frequently  sit,  malae  tenebrae  Orci,  and  Verg. 

mentioned  by  Horace  ;  cf.  2,  41  f.  ;  A.  2,  535  ff.  at  tibi  pro  scelere, 

^-  3>  3°?  II  ;  -^-  i>  5j  77  ff->  91  f-  exclaniat,  pro  talibus  a  it  sis,  \  di,  si 

17  f.    The  robe  dipped  in  the  qua   est  caelo  pietas,   quae  talia 

blood    of    the    Centaur,    Nessus,  curet,  \  persolvant  grates  dignas  et 

which  Deianira  sent  to  Hercules,  praemia  reddant  \  debita.    Cf.  the 

hoping  to  win  back  his  love  from  Greek  dAAa  in  address. 


The  rich  parvenu  became  common  in  Rome  during  the  last  years 
of  the  Republic.  The  increase  of  this  class,  chiefly  made  up  of  freed- 
men,  was  fostered  by  the  disorders  and  confiscations  of  the  civil  wars ; 
so  that  society  was  contaminated  by  those  vulgar  rich  who  wished  to 
establish  themselves  in  it.  They  were  not  satisfied  with  enrollment  in 
the  equestrian  order,  but  pressed  even  into  the  senate,  which  Octavian 
purged  in  the  winter  of  29-28  B.C.  Cf.  Suet.  Atig.  35  senatorum 
afflnentem  tiiitnerunt  defor?ni  et  incondita  tiirba  {erant  eniin  super 
mille,  et  quidam  indigitissimi  et  post  necem  Caesaris  per  gratiam  et 

411 


4,  I]  HORATI 

praemiiini  adlecti,  quos  orcinos  viilgus  vocabaf)  ad  modum  pristinum 
et  splendorem  redegit  duabiis  lectiotiibtis . 

Horace  was  himself  the  son  of  a  freedman,  but  nothing  could  be 
more  offensive  to  him  than  the  straining  and  display  of  such  parvenus. 
His  own  attitude  is  clearly  seen  in  6".  i,  6,  where  his  calm  tone  shows 
that  he  is  discussing  a  general  question.  The  fierceness  of  this  epode 
seems  to  warrant  the  belief  that  he  has  some  definite  individual  in 
mind,  who  probably  was  easily  recognized  by  his  contemporaries. 
All  efforts  to  identify  him  are  useless.  Many  of  the  Mss.  have 
the  inscription :  ad  Sextum  Menam  Libertinutn.  Vediiim  Rufum 
ex  servittite  tniratur  usurpasse  equestrem  dignitatem  usque  ad  tribu- 
natum  militwn.  The  first  part  refers  to  Menas,  or  Menodorus,  a 
freedman  of  Sextus  Pompey  who  twice  deserted  to  Octavian.  The 
name  Vedius  was  probably  suggested  to  the  earlier  commentators  by  a 
passage  in  Cicero's  letter  to  Atticus  {ad  Att.  6.  i,  25)  which  was  written 
at  Laodicea  in  54  B.C.,  but  not  published  until  some  time  in  the  first 
century  a.d.  hoc  ego  ex  P.  Vedio,  niagno  tiebulone  (rascal),  sed  Pompeii 
tamen  familiari,  audivi:  hie  Vedius  venit  mihi  obviam  cum  duobits 
essedis  (English  gigs)  et  raeda  {carryall)  equis  iuncta  et  lectica  et 
familia  uiagtia,  pro  qua,  si  Curio  legeui  pertulerit,  HS  centenos  pendat 
uecesse  est ;  erat  praeterea  cynocephalus  {a  dog-headed  ape)  in  essedo 
nee  deerant  onagri  {wild  asses)  :  numquam  vidi  hoininem  nequiorem. 
The  possibility  remains,  however,  that  this  epode  is  nothing  more  than 
an  exercise  after  Archilochus  (Intr.  4).  The  date  of  composition  is 
probably  36  B.C.     See  n.  to  17-19.     Metre,  74. 

Lupis  et  agnis  quanta  sortito  obtigit, 
tecum  mihi  discordia  est, 

I  f.   The  enmity  of  wolves  and  manebit,  \  cum  pecore  infirmo  quae 

sheep  has  been  proverbial  in  liter-  solet  esse  lupis.  — •  sortito  :  in  origin 

ature   from   the   Homeric    poems  an  ablative  absolute,  it  is  equiv- 

down.     Cf.  //.  22,  262  ff.  o>s  ovK  alent  to  sorte,   lege  nattirae,  i.e. 

1<TTL    kiovcTL    Koi    dvBpdcnv    opKui  '  the  allotment  made  by  nature ' ; 

TTio-Ta,  I  ov8e   XvKOL   re    kol    apves  this    meaning   clearly   appears   in 

6fi.6<f)pova    dvfxov    txovcriv  \  dAAo.  6".  2,  6,  93  terrestria  quando  mor- 

KaKOL    (f>poviov(n    8tayu,7rep€s    dWrj-  talis  animas  vivunt  sortita,  also 

Aoio-iv,   I  ws  OVK   ea-T    ip-k   /cat   ae  Plaut.   Aferc.    136    at   tibi  sortito 

(l>L\i]p.evai,  and  Ovid.  /b.  43  pax  id  optigit,  said  in  answer  to  the  cry 

erit  haec  nobis,  donee   mihi  vita  perimus. 

412 


EPODON   LIBER 


[4.  " 


Hibericis  peruste  funibus  latus 

et  crura  dura  compede. 
Licet  superbus  ambules  pecunia, 

fortuna  non  mutat  genus. 
Videsne,  Sacram  metiente  te  viam 

cum  bis  trium  ulnarum  toga, 
ut  ora  vertat  hue  et  hue  euntium 

liberrima  indignatio  ? 
'  Sectus  flagellis  hie  triumviralibus 


3.  Hibericis  .  .  .  funibus  :  made 
of  spartwn,  the  tough  Spanish 
brcrom,  used  in  antiquity  for  the 
best  ropes  and  cables  (Plin.  N".  H. 
19.26).  —  peruste:  scarred ;  ^\\\\ 
latus,  body,  and  crura.  For  the 
use  of  the  word,  cf.  Epist.  i ,  1 6,  47 
loris  non  ureris. 

4  ff .  compede  :  fetters  were  used 
only  on  the  lowest  slaves.  —  am- 
bules: strut  abroad.  Cf.  8,  14; 
Claudian,  in  Eiitrop.  i,  306  f. 
credo  pectore  dives  \  authidat.  — 
fortuna :  in  the  restricted  sense  of 
our  '  fortune,'  as  the  previous  line 
shows. 

7  f .  sacram  viam :  the  fashion- 
able promenade  at  Rome,  running 
down  from  the  Velia  along  the  foot 
of  the  Palatine  through  the  Forum. 
—  metiente  :  pacing,  as  if  he  pom- 
pously would  measure  the  street's 
length.  —  bis  trium  ulnarum:  the 
ulna  was  about  half  a  yard ;  this 
rich  man's  toga  was  then  three 
yards  wide,  which  made  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  arrange  it  in  elab- 
orate folds.  Such  a  toga  was  in 
marked  contrast  to  the  exigiia  toga 


such  as  simple  Cato  would  wear, 
which  Horace  mentions.  Epist.  i, 

9  f .  vertat :  *  causes  their  color 
to  change  with  indignation.'  Cf. 
S.  2,  8,  35  f.  vert  ere  pallor  turn 
parochi  faciem.  —  hue  et  hue  :  up 
and  down,  with  euntium.  —  Uber- 
rima :  free  spoken;  cf.  11,  16. 
The  following  lines  give  the  words 
of  the  indignant  passers-by. 

II.  sectus:  stronger  than  the 
ordinary  caesits.  —  triumviralibus  : 
the  tresviri  capitales  were  police 
commissioners  whose  chief  duty 
was  the  safe  custody  of  condemned 
persons  and  the  execution  of  the 
punishment  inflicted  by  the  court. 
And  under  the  Republic  they  were 
responsible  for  good  order  in  the 
city.  They  had  the  power  of 
executing  summary  punishment  on 
disorderly  persons  and  slaves. 
Cf.  Schol.  Cic  Div.  in  Caecil. 
16,  50  fures  et  servos  tiequam 
qui  apud  Illviros  capitales  apud 
coluimiam  Mae  ni a  in  (where  the 
Illviri  capitales  had  their  head- 
quarters) puniri  solent. 


413 


4,  12] 


HORATI 


'5 


praeconis  ad  fastidium 
arat  Falerni  mille  fundi  iugera 

et  Appiam  mannis  terit 
sedilibusque  magnus  in  primis  eques 

Othone  contempto  sedet. 
Quid  attinet  tot  ora  navium  gravi 

rostrata  duci  pondere 


12.  praeconis :  the  crier  who 
proclaimed  the  reason  for  the 
punishment  while  the  flogging  was 
going  on.  This  particular  upstart 
has  in  his  time  been  flogged  so 
often  and  so  much  that  even  the 
praeco  is  sick  and  tired  of  it ;  and 
yet  to-day,  arat  Falerni  mille  fundi 
iugera. 

13.  arat :  equivalent  to /(7JJzV/^A 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  3,  13  f.  terra  proail 
vastis  colitur  Mavortia  campis  \ 
Thraces  arant.  —  Falerni  :  the 
ager  Falerniis,  in  the  south  of 
Campania,  was  famous  for  its  vine- 
yards. —  iugera  :  the  iiigernm  was 
the  Roman  unit  of  measure  for 
land,  containing  about  five-eighths 
of  an  acre. 

14.  Appiam  :  sc.  viat/i,  the 
great  road  leading  to  the  south  of 
Rome,  called  by  Statins  longaruin 
regitia  viarum.  This  the  parvenu 
wears  out  (terit)  as  he  drives,  either 
to  exhibit  his  fine  turnout  to  the 
throng  of  travelers,  who  continu- 
ally pass  along  the  road,  or  to 
visit  his  country  estates.  On  this 
use  of  tero,  cf.  Ovid,  ex  Ponto 
2,  7,  44  nee  magis  est  curvis 
Appia  trita  rotis.  —  mannis:  Gallic 


ponies,  fashionable  for  pleasure 
driving. 

15  f.  L.  Roscius  Otho,  tribune 
of  the  people,  in  67  B.C.  had  a  law 
passed  by  which  the  knights  were 
assigned  fourteen  rows  in  the 
theater  back  of  the  orchestra, 
which  belonged  to  the  senators. 
This  upstart,  regardless  of  his  low 
birth,  takes  his  seat  as  knight, 
swollen  with  pride  (magnus)  over 
his  great  wealth.  Worse  than 
that,  as  tribunus  militum  he  sits  in 
the  first  of  the  fourteen  rows, 
magnus  is  used  in  the  same  ironical 
sense  S.  1,6,  72  magni  quo  piteri 
magnis  e  cenitiriotiibiis  orti. 

17-19.  The  allusions  here  give 
us  reason  to  believe  that  this  epode 
was  written  soon  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  large  ships  referred 
to.  In  38  B.C.  Octavian  was 
badly  defeated  by  Sextus  Pompey  ; 
in  the  following  winter  37-36  B.C. 
he  had  a  new  fleet  built,  consisting 
of  very  large  and  heavy  vessels. 
The  date  at  which  this  epode  was 
composed  is  then  probably  36  B.C. 
—  ora  rostrata :  an  artificial  ex- 
pression similar  to  the  Greek 
■KpoaanTOV  vcws,  Achil.  Tat.  3,  i  ; 


414 


EPODON    LIBER  [5 

contra  latrones  atque  servilem  manum, 
20  hoc,  hoc  tribuno  militum  ? ' 

Diod.  Sic.  13,  40  has  to.  crTOjxaTa  to  their  former  owners  some  thirty 

Twv  €fifi6Xo)v.  —  latrones  .  .  .  ser-  thousand  runaway  slaves  that  had 

vilem    manum :    such    as    Sextus  joined  Sextus  Pompey's  army. 
Pompeywelcomed  to  his  standards.  20.    hoc,  hoc  :   emphatic.     Intr. 

Augustus  says  in  the  Mon.  Anc.  28  a.     Cf.  Sen.  H.  F.  ()()  hoc,  hoc 

5,  I  that  he  captured  and  returned  ministro  noster  utatur  dolor. 


The  Romans  were  extremely  superstitious,  and  during  the  last  cen- 
tury of  the  Republic  especially,  there  was  a  rapid  increase  in  the  num- 
ber of  people  among  them  who  professed  to  practice  the  magic  arts. 
The  efficacy  of  witchcraft  and  love  potions  was  not  doubted  by  the  mass 
of  the  people.  In  this  epode  Horace  pictures  four  hags,  of  whom  Cani- 
dia  is  the  chief,  in  the  act  of  preparing  one  of  their  most  potent  charms 
by  which  Canidia  hopes  to  win  back  the  affections  of  her  aged  lover. 
The  quartette  have  captured  a  boy  whom  they  propose  to  bury  to  the 
chin  in  the  atrium  of  Canidia's  house,  that  he  may  starve.  His  death  is 
to  be  made  the  more  painful  by  the  sight  of  food  frequently  renewed, 
that  his  longing  for  it  may  sink  into  his  liver  and  very  marrow,  which 
then  shall  be  used  for  the  irresistible  philter.  It  is  not  impossible  that 
children  were  occasionally  murdered  for  such  purposes ;  at  any  rate 
there  was  a  current  belief  that  such  atrocities  were  practiced,  as  the 
Chinese  are  said  to  believe  to-day  that  the  missionaries  kill  young  chil- 
dren to  obtain  the  ingredients  for  certain  charms.  Cicero  charges 
Vatinius,  in  Vaiin.  14  en  in  inajtdita  ac  nefaria  sacra  siiscepen's,  CJiin 
inferorwn  animas  elicere,  ciitn  pnerornm  exits  deos  manes  niactare 
soleas,  etc.  The  following  inscription,  found  in  a  columbarium  on  the 
Esquiline,  is  also  important  testimony.  CIL.  6,  19,  747  lucutidus  Liviae 
Drusi  Caesaris  /(Jims')  Gryphi  et  Vitalis.  hi  quartwn  surgens  com- 
prensHS  deprwior  annum,  \  cum  possem  inatri  dulcis  et  esse  patri.  \ 
eripuit  me  saga  manns  crtidelis  i(biqiie,  \  cnm  manet  in  terris  et  nocit 
arte  sua.  \  vos  vestros  natos  concustodite  parentes,  \  ni  dolor  in  toto 
pectore  fixsus  eat. 

Commentators  have  been  much  puzzled  as  to  the  identity  of  this 
Canidia,  whom  Horace  mentions  in  two  other  .epodes  (3  and  17)  and 
in  ^.  I,  8.     Porphyrio  says  that  she  was  a  certain  Gratidia  from  Naples, 

415 


5,  I]  HORATI 

whose  business  was  the  manufacture  of  perfumes.  There  is  also  the 
tradition  that  Horace  was  once  in  love  with  her,  and  that  the  celeres 
ia}>tbi  which  he  recants  in  the  sixteenth  ode  of  the  first  book,  are 
this  epode  and  the  seventeenth,  a  mock  palinode.  But  Porphyrio's 
identification  is  probably  only  a  clever  guess,  based  on  verses  43  and 
59,  and  Epode  17,  23,  which  give  after  all  very  insufficient  basis  for  his 
statement ;  and  the  rest  of  the  tradition  has  no  foundation  whatever. 

It  may  be  true  that  Horace  attacked  under  the  name  Canidia  some 
ittigiientarm,  well  known  at  the  time,  who  was  ready  to  furnish  potions 
and  poisons  to  her  customers,  but  it  is  equally  probable  that  Horace 
had  a  purely  literary  motive  in  depicting  a  scene  similar  to  that  in  Ver- 
gil's eighth  eclogue,  the  Pharfuaceutria,  which  is  based  on  Theocritus' 
second  Idyll. 

The  epode  is  dramatically  constructed.  It  opens  with  the  cries  and 
prayers  of  the  boy  as  he  is  hurried  into  the  house  (i-io).  Canidia 
orders  the  various  materials  for  her  infernal  rites  (11-24),  while  Sagana 
sprinkles  the  house  with  water  from  Avernus  (25-28);  Veia  digs  the 
pit  in  which  the  boy  is  to  be  buried  (29-40).  A  fourth  hag,  Folia,  who 
can  call  down  the  very  moon  and  stars,  is  also  present  (41-46).  Cani- 
dia then  prays  that  the  charm  she  has  already  used  may  bring  her  aged 
lover  to  her  doors  ;  but  suddenly  the  fear  comes  on  her  that  some  more 
skillful  rival  may  detain  him  (47-72).  At  this  thought  she  breaks  out 
with  the  threat  that  she  will  use  an  irresistible  charm  (73-82).  The 
boy,  seeing  that  his  prayers  are  of  no  avail,  calls  down  curses  on  his 
murderesses  and  threatens  that  his  shade  shall  haunt  them  (82-102). 
The  date  of  composition  cannot  be  exactly  fixed,  but  is  later  than  that 
of  S.  I,  8  and  probably  earlier  than  that  oi  Epod.  17.     Metre,  74. 

'  At  o  deorum  quicquid  in  caelo  regit 
terras  et  humanum  genus, 

I.  at:  used  regularly  at  the  be-  added  pleonastically,  but  Horace 
ginning  of  entreaties,  prayers,  and  may  have  wished  to  make  the  con- 
curses  ;  here  it  marks  the  sudden  trast  between  dit  stiperi  and  dii 
outburst  of  the  kidnapped  boy.  inferi  under  whose  protection  the 
Cf.  n.  to  3,  19. — 0  deorum  quic-  boy's  tormentors  were.  If  so,  he 
quid  :  cf.  Livy,  23,  9,  3  iurantes  betrays  a  lack  of  skill,  for  a  fright- 
per  quidquid  deorum  est,  and  S.  ened  child  would  hardly  think  of 
1,6,  I  Lydorum  quicquid  .  .  .  in-  so  subtle  a  taunt  as  this.  Cf.  n. 
coluit.  —  in    caelo :      apparently  to  v.  5 . 

416 


EPODON   LIBER 


[5.  >5 


quid  iste  fert  tumultus,  et  quid  omnium 

voltus  in  unum  me  truces  ? 
Per  liberos  te,  si  vocata  partubus 

Lucina  veris  adfuit, 
per  hoc  inane  purpurae  decus  precor, 

per  improbaturum  haec  lovem, 
quid  ut  noverca  me  intueris  aut  uti 

petita  ferro  belua  ? ' 
Vt  haec  trementi  questus  ore  constitit 

insignibus  raptis  puer, 
impube  corpus  quale  posset  impia 

mollire  Thracum  pectora, 
Canidia,  brevibus  implicata  viperis 


15 

3  f.  fert :  means.  This  sup- 
plies the  verb  for  the  following 
verse.  —  omnium :  in  contrast  to 
unum.  —  in  me :  connect  with  truces. 
Cf.  C.  I,  2,  39  acer  .  .  .  voltus 
in  hostetn. 

5  f .  te :  the  boy  now  turns  to 
Canidia  as  the  leader  of  the  four. 
—  si  vocata,  etc. :  the  addition  of 
veris  makes  the  clause  carry  an  im- 
plication that  Canidia  has  never 
had  a  child,  although  she  has  tried 
to  palm  one  off  as  her  own.  This 
is  plainly  expressed  in  17,  50. 
Such  an  insinuation  is,  however, 
quite  too  clever  for  a  child  in  this 
situation. — Lucina:  Juno  as  god- 
dess of  childbirth.  Cf.  C.  S.  15 
and  n. 

7  f .  purpurae  decus  :  the  toga 
praetexia,\\orn  by  boys  until  they 
reached  the  age  of  manhood,  is 
here  the  badge  of  innocence  and 
should  protect  the  child,  but  it  is 
HOR.  CAR.  —  27 


of  no  avail  (inane).  —  improbatu- 
rum :  a  mild  word  for  vindicatu- 
rum. 

9  f .  ut  noverca  :  typical  of  sav- 
age hatred.  Cf.  Sen.  Cont.  4,  dhic 
tuns  est ;  quid  alterum  novercali- 
bus  oculis  intueris  ?  and  Tac.  Attn. 
12,  2  (coniunx)  novercalibus  odiis 
z'isura  Britannicum  et  Octaviani. 
—  petita  :  equivalent  to  saucia. 

12  f .  insignibus  raptis  :  the  toga 
praetexta  and  the  btilla,  the  amu- 
let which  the  Roman  boy  wore 
about  his  neck.  These  symbols 
of  his  innocent  youth  are  ruth- 
lessly stripped  from  him,  so  that 
he  stands  naked  before  them ;  but 
the  helplessness  of  his  childish  fig- 
ure (impube  corpus),  a  sight  to 
touch  even  barbarian  hearts,  makes 
no  appeal  to  Canidia  and  her  crew. 

15  f .  Notice  the  effect  produced 
by  the  succession  of  short  sylla- 
bles.    Canidia  is  pictured  as  a  fury 

417 


5.16] 


HORATI 


crinis  et  incomptum  caput, 
iubet  sepulcris  caprificos  erutas, 

iubet  cupressos  funebris 
et  uncta  turpis  ova  ranae  sanguine 

plumamque  nocturnae  strigis 
herbasque  quas  lolcos  atque  Hiberia 

mittit  venenorum  ferax, 
et  ossa  ab  ore  rapta  ieiunae  canis 


with  snakes  intertwined  in  her 
disheveled  hair.  Indeed  she  is 
called  furia  in  6".  i,  8,  45.  Cf. 
Ovid.  Her.  2,  119  Alecto  brevibus 
torqiiata  colubris.  —  crinis  .  .  . 
caput:  Intr.  84. 

17-24.  These  verses  name  the 
materials  for  the  witches'  infernal 
sacrifice.  —  caprificos  :  the  first  in- 
gredient shall  be  from  the  barren 
wild  fig  tree,  naturally  associated 
with  the  dead,  for  it  grew  most 
often  in  the  crevices  of  tombs.  Cf. 
Mart.  10,  2,  9  mar  mora  Messalae 
Jindit  caprificus,  and  luv.  10, 
143  ff.  laudis  tituliqne  cupido  \  hae- 
suri  saxis  cinerum  custodibus,  ad 
quae  \  discutienda  valent  sterilis 
7/1  ala  robora  fici. 

18  f.  cupressos  funebris :  cypress 
from  some  house  of  mourning.  Cf. 
C.  2,  14,  23  invisas  cupressos. — 
ranae  :  the  rana  rubeta,  a  poison- 
ous toad  described  by  Plin.  TV.  H. 
8,  no  ranae  rubetae,  quariim  et 
hi  terra  et  in  nmore  vita,  pluri- 
7nis  refertae  viedicaminibns  de- 
ponere  ea  cotidie  ac  resumere 
pastu  diaintjtr,  venena  tantum 
semper  sibireservantes.   This  crea- 


ture was  regularly  used  in  potions. 
Cf.  luv.  I,  69  t/iatrona  pot  ens,  quae 
violle  Calenuin  \  porrectura  viro 
miscet  sitiente  rubetajji. 

20.  strigis  :  modifying  both  ova 
and  plumam.  The  strix  was  prob- 
ably the  ordinary  screech-owl, 
which  frequented  tombs  and  de- 
serted places.  Popular  superstition 
still  magnifies  it  into  a  bugaboo. 
It  is  described  by  Ovid.  Fasti 6,  133 
grande  caput,  stantes  oculi,  rostra 
apta  rapinis ;  \  canities  pinnis, 
unguibus  /taunis  inest.  On  the  use 
of  these  ingredients  in  potions,  cf. 
Prop.  4,  6,  27  ff.  HUdh  turgentis 
ranae  portenta  rubetae  \  et  lecta 
exsectis  anguibiis  ossa  trahunt  \  et 
strigis  inventae  per  busta  iacentia 
plu7nae,  reminding  one  of  the 
witches'  brew  in  Macbeth,  4,  i . 

21.  lolcos:  in  Thessaly,  famous 
for  witchcraft.  Cf.  C.  i,  27,  21 
Thessalis  /nagus.  —  Hiberia :  in 
Pontus,  near  Colchis,  the  home  of 
Medea.     Cf.  Colchicis,  v.  24. 

23  f .  Bones  snatched  from  a 
hungry  dog  are  efficacious  as  com- 
municating the  craving  of  the  baf- 
fled animal  to  the  one  bewitched. 


418 


EPODON   LIBER 


[5.36 


flammis  aduri  Colchicis. 
At  expedita  Sagana,  per  totam  domum 

spargens  Avernalis  aquas, 
horret  capillis  ut  marinus  asperis 

echinus  aut  currens  aper. 
Abacta  nulla  Veia  conscientia 

ligonibus  duris  humum 
exhauriebat  ingemens  laboribus, 

quo  posset  infossus  puer 
longo  die  bis  terque  mutatae  dapis 

inemori  spectaculo, 
cum  promineret  ore  quantum  exstant  aqua 

suspensa  mento  corpora, 


25-28.  Sagana  is  mentioned 
also  S.  I,  8,  25  as  Canidia's  assist- 
ant. With  dress  tucked  up  (ex- 
pedita =  siiccintd)  slie  liurries  lilce 
a  wild  creature  through  the  house, 
sprinkling  it  with  water  from  Aver- 
nus  in  lustral  preparation  for  the 
infernal  rites.  The  waters  of  Lake 
Avernus,  being  near,  as  was  sup- 
posed, to  an  entrance  to  the  lower 
world,  were  especially  appropriate 
for  such  purposes  as  these.  So 
Vergil  says  of  Dido,  A.  4,  512 
sparser  at  et  la  t  ices  sinmlatos  fontis 
Averni. 

29  f .  Veia :  her  function  is  to  dig 
in  the  floor  of  the  atrium  the  pit  in 
which  the  boy  is  to  be  buried.  — 
ligonibus :  plural,  magnifying  the 
difficulty  and  intensity  of  her  toil ; 
so  laboribus  in  the  following  line. 
—  duris:  pitiless,  with  ligonibus., 
Cf.  C  3,  1 1, 31  diiro  perdere  ferro. 


31.  ingemens:  showing  the  dif- 
ficulty of  her  task.  Cf.  Verg.  G. 
I,  45  f.  depresso  incipiat  iatn  turn 
mi/ii  taurus  aratro  \  ingeuiere. 

33.  The  food  is  to  be  changed 
again  and  again  (bis  terque)  to  in- 
crease the  boy's  longing,  a  refine- 
ment of  torture  whereby  the  day  is  to 
be  made  interminably  long  for  him. 

34.  inemori :  a  compound  found 
only  here  :  pine  to  death  at  {sight 
of,  etc.).  The  in-  has  the  same 
force  as  in  ingemens  v.  31,  or  in  the 
simpler  compound  imrnori,  Epist. 
I,  7,  85.  —  spectaculo  :  dative  like 
laboribus,  X.  31. 

36  f .  suspensa,  etc. :  an  artificial 
expression  for  nat antes. — exsecta, 
aridum :  modifying  both  substan- 
tives. His  marrow,  his  innermost 
part,  and  his  liver,  the  seat  of  the 
passions,  shall  be  cut  out  and  dried 
to  form  the  basis  of  the  philter. 


419 


5.37] 


HORATI 


40 


45 


exsecta  uti  medulla  et  aridum  iecur 

amoris  esset  poculum, 
interminato  cum  semel  fixae  cibo 

intabuissent  pupulae. 
Non  defuisse  masculae  libidinis 

Arimineneem  Foliam 
et  otiosa  credidit  Neapolis 

et  omne  vicinum  oppidum, 
quae  sidera  excantata  voce  Thessala 

lunamque  caelo  deripit. 
Hie  inresectum  saeva  dente  livido 

Canidia  rodens  pollicem 


38  ff.  amoris  poculum :  cf.  1 7, 
80  desiderique  tetnperare  pocula. 
—  interminato :  forbidden,  in  pas- 
sive sense. — ^ semel:  connect  with 
intabuissent.  —  cibo  :  dative  with 
fixae  and  intabuissent  alike.  Intr. 
100. 

41-46.  Horace  skillfully  says  that 
he  has  only  heard  from  Neapolitan 
gossip  that  Folia  was  present,  thus 
implying  that  his  statements  in  re- 
gard to  the  other  three  are  based 
on  certain  knowledge.  —  masculae 
libidinis  :  descriptive  genitive  with 
Foliam. 

43.  otiosa  .  .  .  Neapolis :  cf. 
Ovid.  Met.  15,  711  in  otia  natarn 
Farthenopen.  This  Greek  city 
was  given  to  gossip ;  according  to 
the  ancient  commentator  it  was 
c-a\\td  fabulosa .  Gossip  and  curi- 
osity are  characteristic  of  the  Greek 
people.  Cf.  Demost.  Philip,  i,  10 
(to  the  Athenians)  rj  ^ovXeade, 
ciTre   /tot,  TrepiiovTcs  auTwv  Trvvdd- 


veaOai  "  Atyerat' Ti  kulvov;"  and 
^cis  17,  21.  Livy  represents  the 
Roman  point  of  view  w  hen  he  says 
of  the  Neapolitans,  8,  22  gens  lin- 
gua inagis  sirenua  qitam  factis. 

44.  omne  vicinum  oppidum :  es- 
pecially the  luxurious  watering- 
place  Baiae,  whose  characteristics 
in  the  following  century  are  so  well 
depicted  it)  Petronius'  Cena  Tri- 
7/ialc/iionis . 

45  f .  The  power  regularly  as- 
signed to  incantations.  Cf.  Verg. 
E.  8,  69  cannina  vel  caelo  possunt 
dedticere  hmam. 

47  f.  hie  :  then,  marking  a  point 
in  the  preparations.  —  inresectum  : 
with  untrimmed  nail.  Long  nails 
are  marks  of  witches ;  with  them 
they  tear  their  victims,  since  the 
use  of  iron  is  impossible  in  magic- 
Canidia  gnaws  her  nail  in  frenzied 
impatience.  Cf.  Mart.  4,  27,  5 
ecce  iternm  nigros  conrodit  lividns 
ungues.  —  livido  :    her  very  teeth 


420 


EPODON   LIBER 


[5.  58 


50 


55 


quid  dixit  aut  quid  tacuit  ?  *  o  rebus  meis 

non  infideles  arbitrae, 
Nox  et  Diana,  quae  silentium  regis, 

arcana  cum  fiunt  sacra, 
nunc,  nunc  adeste,  nunc  in  hostilis  domos 

iram  atque  numen  vertite. 
Formidolosis  dum  latent  silvis  ferae 

dulci  sopore  languidae, 
senem,  quod  omnes  rideant,  adulterum 

latrent  Suburanae  canes. 


show  her  envy  and  rage.  Cf.  6, 
1 5  atro  dente. 

49.  tacuit :  thought,  i.e.  left  un- 
expressed in  words.  The  follow- 
ing lines  represent  both  what  she 
thought  and  what  she  said.  — 
rebus  meis  :  with  adeste,  v.  53. 

51  f.  Cf.  Medea's  prayer,  Ovid. 
Met.  7,  192  ff.  nox,  ait,  arcanis 
fidissiina  .  .  .  tuque,  triceps  He- 
cate, quae  coeptis  conscia  nostris 
adiutrixque  venis  .  .  .  adeste ;  also 
Verg.  ^.3,  wifida  siletitia  sacris, 
and  2,  255  tacit ae  per  arnica  silen- 
tia  lunae. 

53  f.  nunc,  nunc  :  cf.  hoc,  hoc  4, 
20.  Intr.  28a.  —  hostilis  domos  : 
a  common  formula  in  prayers  ;  here 
used  to  include  the  homes  of  her 
rivals.  Cf.  3,  27,  21  ff.  —  iram 
atque  numen  :  the  power  of  your 
divine  wrath. 

55  f.  This  with  v.  51  shows  that 
the  time  is  night,  when  all  crea- 
tures are  lulled  in  sleep  save  un- 
happy lovers.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  4, 
522  ff.  nox  erat.  et  placiduin  carpe- 


bant  fessa  soporem  \  corpora  per 
terras,  silvaeque  et  saeva  quierant 
I  aequora,  cu/n  medio  volvuntur 
sidera  lapsu,  \  cum  tacet  omnis 
ager,  pecudes  pictaeque  volucres,  \ 
. .  .at  non  itifeli.v animi  Phoenissa. 

57.  In  spite  of  her  preparations, 
Canidia  still  hopes  that  the  un- 
guent she  has  already  used  may 
prove  effective.  —  senem  :  her  aged 
lover,  the  Varus  of  v.  73,  whose 
foppish  appearance  excites  the 
mirth  of  the  passers-by.  Cf.  Plant. 
Casin.  240  senectan  aetate  unguen- 
tatus  per  vias,  igndve.  incedis  / 

58.  latrent :  transitive.  She 
trusts  that  the  barking  of  the  dogs 
may  announce  his  approach.  So 
Vergil's  enchantress  hears  Daph- 
nis'  coming,  E.  8,  107  Hylas  in 
limine  latrat.  —  Suburanae  :  Cani- 
dia's  house  is  in  the  Subura,  the 
Roman  slums,  situated  east  of  the 
fora  between  the  Esquiline.  Quiri- 
nal,  and  Viminal  hills.  It  was 
crowded  with  small  shops,  cafes, 
and  brothels. 


421 


5,  59]  HORATI 

nardo  perunctum  quale  non  perfectius 
60  meae  laborarint  manus. 

Quid  accidit  ?     Cur  dira  barbarae  minus 

venena  Medeae  valent, 
quibus  superbam  fugit  ulta  paelicem, 

magni  Creontis  filiam, 
65  cum  palla,  tabo  munus  imbutum,  novam 

incendio  nuptam  abstulit  ? 
Atqui  nee  herba  nee  latens  in  asperis 

radix  fefellit  me  locis. 
Indormit  unctis  omnium  cubilibus 
70  oblivione  paelicum. 

A,  a,  solutus  ambulat  veneficae 

scientioris  carmine. 
Non  usitatis,  Vare,  potionibus, 

o  multa  fleturum  caput, 

59  f .   quale  .  .  .  laborarint :  tale  dyed.    The  robe  burst  into  flames 

is  implied  in   quale,  in   place   of  as  soon  as  the  princess  put  it  on. 
which  we  might  expect  qjio  non,  67  ff.    '  Yet  I  made  no  mistake. 

'  none  more  perfect  will  my  hands  Still  he  must  be  sleeping  over  all 

ever   make.'     The   future   perfect  my  magic  unguents,  forgetful  of 

expresses  Canidia's  confidence.  every  mistress.'     She  has  smeared 

61  ff.    At  V.  60  Canidia  listens,  his  very  bed  with  her  potent  oint- 

but  to  no  purpose  —  her  lover  does  ment. 

not   come.       She   fears  that    the  71  ff.   A,  a :    suddenly  the  fear 

potent    unguent,    prepared    from  strikes  her  that  a  clever  rival  may 

Medea's   own  recipe,  has  lost  its  have  some  more  powerful  charm, 

power.  —  minus:    equivalent  here  and  in  fury  she  threatens  Varus 

to  pariim.  with  her  irresistible  philter.  —  solu- 

63.   quibus:  connect  with  ulta,  tus :  set  free;  cf.  C.  i,  27,  21. — 

which  contains  the  main  idea.  —  ambulat :  walks  abroad. 
superbam  :  as  exultant  over  Medea,  74.   fleturum  :  doomed  to  weep  ; 

Jason's    lawful    wife. — paelicem:  like  the  Greek  /cAauo.     Intr.  iio. 

the  opprobrious  term  applied  by  — caput:  in  the  sense  of 'person,' 

Medea  to  Creusa.  most    common   in   addresses   ex- 

65.   tabo  .  .  .  imbutum :  death-  pressing  either  love  or,  as   here, 

422 


EPODON   LIBER 


[5.87 


75  ad  me  recurres,  nee  vocata  mens  tua 

Marsis  redibit  vocibus : 
mains  parabo,  mains  infundam  tibi 

fastidienti  poculum, 
prinsqne  caelum  sidet  inferins  mari, 
80  tellure  porrecta  snper, 

qnam  non  amore  sic  meo  flagres  uti 

bitnmen  atris  ignibus.' 
Snb  haec  pner  iam  non,  ut  ante,  mollibus 
lenire  verbis  impias, 
85  •  sed  dubius  unde  rumperet  silentium, 

misit  Thyesteas  preces : 
venena  magnum  fas  nefasque  non  valent 


hate.  Cf.  C.  i,  24,  i  desideriiDii  .  .  . 
ta/;i  cari  captis.  So  Ke<f>aX-Q.  Kapa 
in  Greek,  e.g.  II.  8,  281  Tcwpe, 
^i\-r]  K€(f>CLXr},  Soph.  Antig.  l  w 
Kowov  avTd8e\(f>ov  'Ifr/xr^vT^s  Kapa. 

76.  Marsis  .  .  .  vocibus  :  '  no 
home-made  spells  shall  avail  you  to 
call  back  your  mind  when  once  it 
has  fallen  under  this  new  charm.' 
For  Marsic  spells,  cf.  17,  29  and 
Verg.  A.  7,  750. 

78  f.  fastidienti:  'in  spite  of 
all  your  disregard  for  me."  —  infe- 
rius :  for  the  metre,  see  Intr.  58. 

82.  uti  bitumen  :  she  draws  the 
comparison  from  her  own  rites. 
Cf.  Verg.  E.  8,  %2  fragilis  incende 
bitutiiitie  lanrics.  —  atris  :  the  ac- 
tual color  of  the  flame. 

83  f.  sub  haec  :  thereitpoti. 
The  boy  now  sees  that  there  is  no 
hope  of  escape  and  turns  to  threats. 
—  lenire  :  the  only  case  of  the  his- 


torical infinitive  in  the  odes  and 
epodes. 

85  f .  unde  :  '  with  what  words." 
—  Thyesteas  preces  :  such  curses 
as  Thyestes  uttered  when  betrayed 
into  eating  the  flesh  of  his  own 
son.  The  words  Horace  had  in 
mind  are  probably  those  in  En- 
nius*  famous  Thyestes.  which  Cice- 
ro, Tnsc.  I,  107,  has  preserved  to 
us  ipse  stiniviis  sdxis  fixus  dsperis, 
evisceraiiis,  \  Idtere  pendens.,  sdxa 
spargens  tdbo,  sanie  et  sdngiiine 
atro,  I  neque  sepidcrtiin,  qud  re- 
cipiat,  hdbeat  portum  cdrporis,  \ 
iibi  remissa  hutndna  uita  cdrpus 
requiescdt  malts.  Cf.  also  in  Pis. 
43.  —  preces:  curses,  as  Caes. 
B.  G.  6.  31  omnibus  precibus  de- 
test atus  Ainbiorigem. 

87  f.  The  passage  is  corrupt, 
but  the  sense  is :  '  Sorceries  can- 
not  overturn    the   mighty   law  of 


423 


5,88] 


HORATI 


convertere  humanam  vicem. 
diris  agam  vos  ;  dira  detestatio 
90  nulla  expiatur  victima. 

Quin  ubi  perire  iitssus  exspiravero, 

nocturnus  occurram  furor, 
petamque  voltus  umbra  curvis  unguibus, 

quae  vis  deorum  est  manium, 
95  et  inquietis  adsidens  praecordiis 

pavore  somnos  auferam. 
Vos  turba  vicatim  hinc  et  hinc  saxis  patens 

contundet  obscaenas  anus ; 
post  insepulta  membra  different  lupi 


right  and  wrong  after  the  manner 
of  men  (humanam  vicem).'  That 
is,  *  neither  your  evil  practices  nor 
offerings  of  victims  are  powerful 
enough  to  save  you  from  the  venge- 
ance of  the  gods.'  —  humanam 
vicem:  adverbial  accus.  Cf.  Sail. 
Hist.  Frg.  4,  67  M..  ceteri  vicem 
pecorum  obtrtmcabantur . 

89 f.  diris:  substantively, fwj^j, 
repeated  in  the  formal  dira  desta- 
tio  that  follows.  —  nulla,  etc.:  It 
was  commonly  believed  that  there 
was  no  escape  from  a  solemn  curse 
of  this  kind.  Cf.  C.  1,28,34/^^«^ 
piacula  nulla  resolvent,  and  Plin. 
N.  H.  28,  19  defigi  quidetn  diris 
precationibus  nemo  non  potnit. 
Cf.  Dido's  threat,  A.  4,  384  ff. 
sequar  atris  ignibus  absens,  \  et, 
cum  frigida  mors  anima  seduxerit 
artus,  I  omnibus  umbra  locis  adero. 

92.  furor:  an  avengitig  spirit -, 
the  masculine  oi furia. 


94.  '  Such  is  the  power  of  the 
spirits  of  the  dead  (to  return  and 
harm).'  Cf.  Livy  3,  58,  11  manes- 
que  Verginiae  .  .  .  per  tot  domes 
ad  petendas  poenas  vagati  nulla 
relicto  sonte  tandem  quieverunt. 

95.  inquietis:  proleptic. — as- 
sidens  :  like  the  incubus  in  a  night- 
mare. 

97  f .  hinc  et  hinc  :  '■  on  every 
side.'  Cf.  2,  31  n.  —  obscaenas: 
'foul  hags,'  giving  the  cause  of 
their  punishment.  Stoning  to 
death  in  Rome  was  rare.  Livy  4, 
50,  5  f.  speaks  of  a  case  in  which  a 
military  tribune  was  killed  in  this 
fashion  by  a  mob  of  soldiers. 

99  f .  The  Esquiline  outside  the 
walls  was  a  common  burial  place 
for  the  poor  until  Maecenas  re- 
deemed it  by  buying  it  up  and 
laying  it  out  into  beautiful  gardens. 
Cf.  S.  I,  8.  Here  the  hags'  bodies 
are  to  be  cast  unburied,  for   the 


424 


EPODON   LIBER  [6 

loo  et  Esquilinae  alites ; 

neque  hoc  parentes,  heu  mihi  superstites, 
effugerit  spectaculum.' 

wolves   and   birds  to  prey  on.  —  Horace  here  breaks  off.  observing 

post:   adverb.  —  Esquilinae  ||  ali-  the  rules  he  laid  down  himself  for 

tes:  for  the  hiatus,  see  Intr.  43.  the   drama,  Epist.   2,    3,    182    ff. 

loi  f.   neque  hoc  .  .  .  effugerit:  nonta7neninhis\dignageripromes 

*  my   parents  will  not  fail  to  see  in   scaenam,   tnultaqiie    tolles  \  ex 

your  mangled   corpses  and   gloat  oculis,  quae  mox  narret  factmdia 

over  them.'  —  heu  mihi  superstites :  praesens,  \  ne  pueros  coram  po- 

The  boy  turns  from  his  own  fate  pulo  Medea   trucidet,   \   aut   Jm- 

to  pity  for  his  parents.     His  death  mana  palam  coquat  exta  nefaritis 

will  deprive  them  of  the  joy  and  Atreiis,\aut  in  avemProcneverta- 

support  which  their  old  age  should  tur,  Cadmus  in  anguem.     He  thus 

have    known.      The    sadness    of  leaves    us    impressed     with     the 

such    bereavement   oppressed  the  pathos  of  the  situation,    not   the 

ancients,    whose    religious    ideas  manner    of     the    boy's     horrible 

gave  no  consolation  for  early  death.  death. 


An  attack  on  a  scurrilous  defamer,  who  like  a  cowardly  cur  dared  to 
assail  only  those  who  could  not  fight  in  return.  •  Attack  me,'  says 
Horace,  *  and  you  will  find  I  am  ready  to  bite  back.  You  bark  nobly 
and  then  sniff  the  bone  thrown  to  you  (i-io).  I  shall  prove  a  bull 
with  horns  as  sharp  as  the  iambi  of  Archilochus  or  Hipponax  ;  I  am  no 
boy  to  cry  and  not  strike  back  (11-16).''  The  metaphors  are  only 
apparently  mixed,  for  at  v.  11  Horace  definitely  abandons  the  figure  of 
the  dog. 

Who  the  object  of  this  attack  was  must  remain  uncertain.  A  num- 
ber of  Mss.  have  the  inscription  in  Cassium  Severum,  by  which 
the  early  commentators  probably  meant  the  orator  Cassius  Severus, 
banished  by  Augustus  on  account  of  his  defamatory  writings  (Tac. 
Dial.  19;  Antt.  i,  27;  4,  21).  But  this  Cassius  belonged  to  Ovid's 
generation,  so  that  he  can  hardly  be  the  person  meant.  All  other 
guesses  are  equally  futile.  The  verses  may  be  only  an  exercise  \n  iambi 
(Intr.  4).     Metre,  74. 

425 


6,1] 


HORATI 


Quid  immerentis  hospites  vexas  canis 

ignavus  adversum  lupos  ? 
Quin  hue  inanis,  si  potes,  vertis  minas 

et  me  remorsurum  petis  ? 
Nam  qualis  aut  Molossus  aut  fulvus  Lacon, 

amica  vis  pastoribus, 
agam  per  altas  aure  sublata  nivis 

quaecumque  praecedet  fera. 
Tu  cum  timenda  voce  complesti  nemus, 

proiectum  odoraris  cibum. 
Cave,  cave  :  namque  in  malos  asperrimus 

parata  tollo  cornua, 
qualis  Lycambae  spretus  infido  gener 

aut  acer  hostis  Bupalo. 


I.  hospites  :  passers-by.  The 
word  frequently  has  this  sense  in 
ej^itaphs.  Cf.  Cicero's  translation 
of  the  inscription  over  the  Spar- 
tans who  fell  at  Thermopylae, 
Tusc.  I,  42,  1 01  die,  hospes,  Spar- 
tae  nos  te  hie  vidisse  iaeentes. 
Also  Catullus'  verse  4,  i  Phasellus 
tile  que  III  videtis  hospites.  —  canis  : 
a  shepherd  dog,  as  the  following 
verse  shows. 

3  f.  inanis  :  a  barking  dog,  you 
have  no  bite. — remorsurum:  equiva- 
lent to  a  relative  clause. — petis: 
fly  at. 

5.  Molossus  .  .  .  Lacon  :  ad- 
jectives used  substantively  like  our 
'  St.  Bernard,'  '  bull,'  etc.  These 
were  the  choice  breeds  of  watch- 
dogs, mentioned  together  by  Ver- 
gil G.  3,  405  velocis  Spartae 
catulos  acremque  Molossitm.     Cf. 


Shakespere,  Midsummer  Nighfs 
Dream  4,  i,  124  '  My  hounds  are 
bred  out  of  the  Spartan  kind.' 

6  f .  vis:  cf.  Lucret.  6,  1220 
fida  eaiium  vis ;  Verg.  A.  4,  1 32 
odor  a  canum  vis.  — aure  sublata : 
i.e.  arrecta.  Cf.  the  opposite 
detnittit  aiiris  C.  2,  13,  34. 

9  f .  'A  scrap  of  meat  flung  to 
you  is  quite  enough  to  stop  your 
noise ;  you  are  a  blackmailer.'  — 
proiectum  :  more  contemptuous 
than  the  ordinary  obiectiim.  —  cave, 
cave :  cf.  tiutie.,  mine  5,  53 ;  hoe, 
hoc  4,  20.     Intr.  28  a. 

12.  parata  tollo  cornua  :  the 
same  figure  as  in  the  proverbial 
.5.  1,4,  T^^faeniim  habet  in  eornu. 

13  f.  Lycambes  promised  his 
daughter  Neobule  in  marriage  to 
Archilochus,  the  great  master  of 
iambic  poetry,  but   later   refused 


426 


EPODON   LIBER 


[7.5 


»5 


An,  si  quis  atro  dente  me  petiverit, 
inultus  ut  flebo  piier  ? 


him  (infido)  ;  tradition  says  that 
Archilochus  by  his  bitter  verses 
drove  both  father  and  daughter  to 
suicide.  The  dative  depends  on 
spretus.  —  acer  hostis  Bupalo  : 
Hipponax,  who  retaliated  with 
bitter  verses  on  Bupalus  and 
Athenis,  two  sculptors  who  in  sport 
had  made  a  bust  of  the  homely 
poet  with  which  they  amused  their 


friends.      The   story   is    told    by 
Pliny  A^.  H.  26,  12. 

15  f.  an :  introducing  an  inter- 
rogative conclusion.  Cf.  17,  76. 
—  atro  dente :  i.e.  '  with  envious 
malice.'  Cf.  Epist.  i,  19,  30  ver- 
sibtis  atris ;  C.  4,  3,  16  iam  detite 
minus  mordeor  invido.  —  inultus  : 
connect  with  the  subject  rather 
than  with  the  predicate  puer. 


An  appeal  to  the  Romans  not  to  renew  civil  war,  written  probably  in 
38  B.C.  on  the  eve  of  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  between  the  triumvirs 
and  Sextus  Pompey.  In  August,  39  B.C.,  a  treaty  between  the  opposing 
parties  signed  at  Misenum  had  raised  the  hope  that  the  exhausted 
Roman  world  might  have  an  opportunity  to  recover  itself  in  peace ;  but 
within  a  year  these  hopes  were  disappointed.  It  was  most  natural  then 
that  Horace  should  express  himself  in  this  gloomy  way ;  later  he  was 
more  hopeful  of  the  state.  Notice  the  dramatic  form  of  which  Horace 
is  fond.     He  makes  a  personal  appeal  to  the  opposing  lines.     Metre,  74. 

Quo,  quo  scelesti  ruitis  .''  aut  cur  dexteris 

aptantur  enses  conditi .-' 
Parumne  campis  atque  Neptuno  super 

f usum  est  Latini  sanguinis,  — 
5  non  ut  superbas  invidae  Carthaginis 


I  f.  quo,  quo :  cf.  hoc,  hoc  4, 
20.  Intr.  28  a.  —  scelesti :  i.e.  with 
fratricide.  — ruitis  :  literally,  riish- 
ing down  to  ruin.  Cf.  16,  2  ipsa 
Roma  .  .  .  ruit',  C.  i,  3,  26  gens 
humana  ruit  per  vetitum  nefas. 
—  conditi:    'that   were   .so   lately 


sheathed.'  Cf.  C.  i,  31,  r  dedica- 
tum  Apollinem  and  n. 

3.  campis  atque  Neptuno :  with 
super.     Intr.  32. 

5.  non  ut :  shed  not  that,  etc. 
The  Roman  youth  are  no  longer 
wasted  to  punish  a  proud  enemy 


427 


7,6] 


HORATI 


Romanus  arcis  ureret, 
intactus  aut  Britannus  ut  descenderet 

Sacra  catenatus  via, 
sed  ut  secundum  vota  Parthorum  sua 

urbs  haec  periret  dextera, 
neque  hie  lupis  mos  nee  fuit  leonibus, 

numquam  nisi  in  dispar  feris. 
Furorne  caeeus  an  rapit  vis  aerior 

an  culpa  ?     Responsum  date  ! 


or  to  extend  the  Roman  empire, 
but  solely  to  compass  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  own  state.  —  invidae  : 
cf.  Sail.  Cat.  10,  i  Carthago 
aetnula  iniperi  Rotnani  ab  stirpe 
interiit. 

7  f .  intactus  Britannus  :  practi- 
cally true,  as  Caesar's  expeditions 
to  Britain  had  had  no  practical 
results.  Cf.  Tac.  Agric.  13  igitur 
primus  ovmiuvi  RomanoriiDi  di- 
vus  lulius  cum  exercitu  Britan- 
niam  ingressns,  quamquavi  pros- 
pera  piigna  terruerit  incolas  ac 
litore  potitus  sit,  potest  videri  os- 
tendisse  poster  is,  non  tradidisse. 
It  is  not  improbable  that  Octavian 
planned  an  expedition  against  the 
Britons  after  the  peace  of  Mise- 
num,  as  he  certainly  did  in  34  B.C. 
Dio  Cass.  49,  38.  —  descenderet 
Sacra  .  .  .  via :  the  Sacra  via 
made,  a  descent  of  some  fifty  feet 
from  the  Velia  to  the  forum  and 
then  ascended  the  Capitol.  The 
descent  into  the  forum  and  pas- 
sage through  it  formed  the  most 
brilliant  part  of  the  triumphal  pro- 


cession. —  catenatus  :  a  chained 
captive,  before  the  car  of  triumph. 
Cf.  4,  2,  34  ff. 

9  f .  secundum  vota :  the  Par- 
thians  at  this  time  had  overrun 
Syria  and  Asia  Minor  and  were 
the  most  powerful  opponents  of 
the  Romans.  Finally  when  driven 
back  and  overawed,  in  20  B.C., 
they  gave  up  the  standards  they 
had  captured  from  Crassus  in  53 
and  from  Antony  in  36  B.C.  Cf. 
C  3,  5,  5  ff.  ;  6,  gflf. ;  4,  15,  6  ff., 
and  the  notes  on  these  passages. 
—  sua  :  emphatic.  With  the  ex- 
pression in  these  two  verses,  cf  16, 
i-io. 

II  f.  hie  .  .  .  mos:  i.e.  of  de- 
stroying their  own  kind.  —  dispar : 
used  substantively,  equivalent  to 
dispar  animal.  —  feris  :  here  an 
adjective,  agreeing  with  lupis  and 
leonibus.  —  who  are  never  fierce 
save,  etc. 

13  f.  vis  aerior:  some  external 
force,  more  powerful  than  your  own 
strength,  i.e.  Fate.  —  culpa:  defined 
below  by  scelus  fraternae  necis. 


428 


EPODON   LIBER  [8,  14 

15  Tacent,  et  albus  ora  pallor  inficit, 

raentesque  perculsae  stupent. 
Sic  est :  acerba  fata  Romanos  agunt 

scelusque  fraternae  necis, 
ut  immerentis  fluxit  in  terram  Remi 
20  sacer  nepotibus  cruor. 

15  f .  Horace  dramatically  turns  crated/  •  set  apart  for  the  gods,' 
to  the  spectators,  'They  have  no  then  'devoted  to  a  god  for  de- 
answer,'  etc.  —  albus  :  deathly.  —  struction  ' ;  hence  '  accursed.' '  pol- 
perculsae  :  i.e.  with  horror  at  their  luting.'  the  Greek  cmyT^s-  Cf. 
own  situation.  Verg.  ^.  3,  56  quid  non  t/iorialia 

17.    sic  est:  'this  is  the  sum  of  pectora  cogis,  \  auri  sacra  fames? 

the  whole  matter.'  —  acerba  fata:  Lucan  echoes  the  idea  that   the 

the  vis  acrior  of  V.  13.  curse  of  the  first   fratricide  hung 

19  f .    ut :  temporal,  ever  since.  over   the   whole    Roman    people. 

Cf.  C.  4, 4, 42.  —  sacer :  that  brought  Phars.  i ,  95  f rater  no  primi  inadu- 

a  curse  on.     sacer  means   '  conse-  erunt  sanguine  tnuri. 

8 

Rogare  longo  putidam  te  saeculo 

viris  quid  enervet  meas, 
cum  sit  tibi  dens  ater  et  rugis  vetus 

frontem  senectus  exaret, 
5  hietque  turpis  inter  aridas  natis 

podex  velut  crudae  bovis ! 
Sed  incitat  me  pectus  et  mammae  putres, 

equina  quales  ubera, 
venterque  mollis  et  femur  tumentibus 
10  exile  suris  additum. 

Esto  beata,  funus  atque  imagines 

ducant  triumphales  tuum, 
nee  sit  marita  quae  rotundioribus 

onusta  bacis  ambulet. 
429 


8,  15]  HORATI 

IS  Quid  quod  libelli  Stoici  inter  sericos 

iacere  pulvillos  amant  ? 
Inlitterati  num  minus  nervi  rigent  ? 

minusve  languet  fascinum, 
quod  ut  superbo  provoces  ab  inguine, 
20  ore  adlaborandum  est  tibi  ? 


Addressed  to  Maecenas  in  September,  31  B.C.,  on  hearing  of  Octa- 
vian's  success  at  Actium.  In  eager  enthusiasm  Horace  asks  his  patron 
when  they  can  hope  to  celebrate  together  this  glorious  victory,  as  they 
had  celebrated  a  few  years  before  the  defeat  of  Sextus  Pompey.  The 
evidence  seems  to  show  that  Maecenas  was  in  Rome  at  the  time  this  was 
written  (see  introduction  to  Epod.  i),  but  those  who  believe  that  Mae- 
cenas was  present  at  Actium  regard  the  opening  lines  as  additional 
evidence  that  he  took  part  in  the  battle.  Some  even  hold  that  the 
graphic  details  mentioned  prove  that  Horace  also  was  there. 

After  the  address  to  Maecenas  (i-io),  Horace  reflects  on  the  dis- 
grace Antony  has  brought  on  the  Romans  by  enslaving  himself  to  an 
oriental  queen  (11-16),  a  sight  that  made  the  Gauls  desert  to  Caesar, 
and  the  queen's  own  fleet  withdraw  (17-20).  'Hail,  Triumph,  dost 
thou  delay  the  great  procession  for  the  mightiest  leader  thou  hast  ever 
yet  brought  home  (21-26).  The  enemy  has  changed  his  purple  robe 
for  mourning  and  flees  to  farthest  lands  (27-32).  Come,  boy,  bring 
larger  cups  and  stronger  wine  ;  I  will  forget  my  care  and  fear  for  Caesar 
(33-38).'  With  this  epode  compare  C.  i,  37  written  a  year  later  in  joy 
at  the  news  of  Cleopatra's  death.     Metre,  74. 

Quando  repostum  Caecubum  ad  festas  dapes 

victore  laetus  Caesare 
tecum  sub  alta  (sic  lovi  gratum)  domo, 

I.    repostum:    for  the  syncope,  3  f.    sub  alta  .  .  .  domo  :    Mae- 

see  Intr.  40.  —  Caecubum:  one  cenas'  palace  on  the  Esquiline; 
of  the  choicer  wines.  Cf.  C.  1,20,  Horace  calls  it  C.  3,  29,  10  molem 
9;  37,  5.  propinquajii  mibibus  arduis,  with 

430 


EPODON   LIBER 


[9,  14 


beate  Maecenas,  bibam, 
sonante  mixtum  tibiis  carmen  lyra, 

hac  Dorium,  illis  barbarum  ? 
ut  nuper,  actus  cum  freto  Neptunius 

dux  fugit  ustis  navibus, 
minatus  urbi  vincla  quae  detraxerat 

servis  amicus  perfidis. 
Romanus  eheu  (poster!  negabitis) 

emancipatus  feminae 
fert  vallum  et  arma,  miles  et  spadonibus 

servire  rugosis  potest, 


reference  no  doubt  to  its  lofty 
tower  which  commanded  a  view 
of  the  city  and  surrounding  coun- 
try.—  beate:  fortunate^  blest  and 
happy.   Cf.  2,  I  beat  us  tile. 

5  f .  tibiis  :  Intr.  89.  —  car- 
men: strain.  The  lyre  shall  raise 
a  Dorian  strain  of  victory,  the 
music  of  a  Pindaric  epinicion  ;  the 
pipes  a  Phrygian  (barbarum)  dithy- 
rambic  tune,  suitable  for  reveling. 
Cf.  the  Berecyntiae  tibiae  of  C. 
3,  19,  18;  4,  I,  22. 

7  f.  nuper :  in  36  B.C.  after  the 
battle  of  Naulochus.  —  freto  :  sc. 
Siculo.  —  Neptunius  dux  :  said  in 
scornful  mockery.  Pompey  had 
styled  himself  the  son  of  Neptune, 
according  to  Appian  B.  C.  5.  100 
Wvt  (6  no/xTTT^ios)  fxovov  OoXdaar] 
Kal  IlocrftSaivi,  kol  vl6<;  avTwv  v<f)L- 
(TTaTo  KaXilaOai. 

gf.  vincla:  Intr.  40. — servis: 
cf.  n.  to  4,  19.  It  is  dependent 
on  both  detraxerat  and  amicus. 
Intr.  100.  —  perfidis:  for  they  had 


mn   away   from  their  owners   to 
fight  with  Pompey  against  them. 

1 1  f .  Romanus  :  emphatic,  An- 
tony and  his  soldiers.  'To  think 
that  a  Roman  could  fall  so  low  ! 
Future  generations  will  say  it  was 
impossible ! "  —  emancipatus  :  /;/ 
slavery  to. 

13.  fert,  etc.  :  '•  Romans  ac- 
tually serve  as  common  soldiers 
and  carry  on  the  march  the  valli 
and  their  arms,  subject  to  a 
woman's  orders  ! '  —  miles :  con- 
trasted with  spadonibus  rugosis. 
as  fert  vallum  et  arma  is  set  over 
against  feminae.  According  to 
the  Schol.  Verg.  A.  7.  696  the  Ro- 
man contingent  was  commanded 
by  Cleopatra  and  her  eunuchs, 
Augustus  in  cotnt/ieniorationevitae 
suae  refert  Antonium  iussisse,  ut 
legiottes  suae  apud  Cleopatratu  ex- 
cubarent,  eiusque  nutu  et  ixissu 
parerent. 

14.  servire  :  emphatic  by  posi- 
tion.— potest :  can  bring  himself  to. 


43' 


9,  IS]  HORATI 

15  interque  signa  turpe  militaria 

sol  adspicit  conopium. 
Ad  hoc  frementis  verterunt  bis  mille  equos 

Gain  canentes  Caesarem, 
hostiliuraque  navium  portu  latent 
20  puppes  sinistrorsum  citae. 

lo  Triumphe,  tu  moraris  aureos 
currus  et  intactas  boves  ? 


15  f .  turpe  :  a  s/tarneful  sight, 
with  conopium.  — sol  adspicit :  the 
all-seeing  sun  is  regularly  invoked 
as  the  witness  of  shameful  deeds. 
So  by  Aeschylus'  Prometheus 
in  his  suffering,  P.  V.  91  koL 
Tov  iravOTTTrjv  KVKkov  riXiov  KaXw. 
Likewise  by  Shelley's,  '  I  ask  you, 
Heaven,  the  all-beholding  sun,  | 
Has  it  not  seen  ? '  —  conopium :  '  a 
mosquito  bar,'  then  a  'canopied 
couch.'  Symbolical  of  the  abomi- 
nation of  oriental  luxury.  Cf.  the 
similar  passage  in  Propertius,  who 
is  speaking  of  Cleopatra,  3,  9,  45 
foedaqiie  Tarpeio  conopia  tendere 
saxo  {ansa). 

IT  i.  ad  hoc :  {in  disgust)  at 
this.  —  Galli :  Galatians,  led  by 
Amyntas  and  Deiotarus,  who  went 
over  to  Octavian  before  the  battle, 
verterunt:  Intr.  36.  —  canentes 
Caesarem:  cf.  'Verg.A.j,6ci%ibant 
aeqnatiniwiero  regetnqne  canebant. 

19  f .  The  naval  maneuver  here 
spoken  of  is  not  clearly  under- 
stood. Horace  evidently  refers  to 
a  defection  or  at  least  a  withdrawal 
from  active  battle  by  a  part  of  the 
fleet,  similar  to  the  action  of  the 


Galatian  cavalry.  The  ships  seemed 
to  have  abandoned  the  rest  of  the 
fleet  by  making  a  turn  to  the  left 
(sinistrorsum  citae) .  —  citae :  ap- 
parently a  real  participle,  equiva- 
lent to  the  Greek  KLvrjOeicrai. 

21  f .  io  Triimiphe :  the  shout 
of  the  people  to  the  personified 
Triumph,  as  the  procession  ad- 
vanced towards  the  Capitol.  Cf. 
C.  4,  2,  49.  Horace  already  in 
imagination  sees  Octavian  in  the 
triumphal  car.  The  triumph  did 
not  actually  take  place  until  Aug. 
13-15,293.0.  Cf.  Verg.  ^.  8, 714- 
728.  —  aureos  currus:  the  gilded 
car  of  triumph,  to  be  used  in  the 
triumphal  procession.  With  the 
plural,  cf.  I,  2,  15  f. — intactas: 
sc  iugo.  Only  cattle  that  had 
not  been  broken  to  the  service  of 
man  could  be  used  in  sacrifice  to 
the  gods.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  38 
grege  de  intacto  .  .  .  mactare  iu- 
vencos.  The  reference  here  is  to 
the  white  bulls  (the  gender  of 
boves  is  due  to  custom)  which 
were  driven  in  the  triumphal  pro- 
cession and  sacrificed  to  Jupiter 
on  the  Capitol. 


432 


EPODON   LIBER 


[9.34 


lo  Triumphe,  nee  lugurthino  parem 

bello  reportasti  ducem, 
25  neque  Africanum,  eui  super  Carthaginem 

virtus  sepulcrum  condidit. 
Terra  marique  victus  hostis  punico 

lugubre  mutavit  sagum  ; 
aut  ille  centum  nobilem  Cretam  urbibus, 
30  ventis  iturus  non  suis, 

exercitatas  aut  petit  Syrtis  Noto, 

aut  fertur  incerto  mari. 
Capaciores  adfer  hue,  puer,  scyphos 

et  Chia  vina  aut  Lesbia, 


23  f.  parem  .  .  .  ducem  :  i.e. 
paref/i  Caesari.  Marius  is  meant. 
The  mention  of  his  service  in  the 
war  against  lugurtha  rather  than 
of  his  greater  exploits  in  repulsing 
the  Teutons  and  Cimbri,  is  proba- 
bly due  to  the  recent  appearance 
of  Sallust's  Belliun  lus^nrthinum. 

25  f.  The  younger  Scipio  Afri- 
canus,  who  destroyed  Carthage  in 
146  B.C. — Africanum:  in  the  same 
construction  as  ducem. — ^cui  .  .  . 
virtus  sepulcrum  condidit :  i.e.  his 
valor  has  raised  over  the  ruins  of 
Carthage  an  eternal  memorial. 
Cf.  Veil.  Pater,  i,  12  Carthaginem 
magis  invidia  imperii,  quam  nllins 
eiiis  temporis  noxiae  invisam  Ro- 
mano nomini  funditus  sushdit 
fecitque  suae  virtutis  monumen- 
tum,  quod fiierat  avi  eius  clemen- 
tiae. 

27  f.  Horace  now  returns  to 
the  present.  —  hostis  :  Antony.  — 
punico  lugubre.  etc.  :  a  general  in 

HOR.    CAR. —  28  433 


battle  wore  either  a  purple  or  a 
white  cloak  {sagitm  purpureiwi). 
This  Antony  has  put  aside  for  that 
of  the  common  soldier,  as  Pompey 
did  after  the  battle  at  Pharsalia. 
Caesar  B.  C.  3,  96.  For  the  order, 
see  Intr.  21. 

29  f .  centum  .  .  .  urbibus :  km.- 
To/xTroAts.  Cf.  C.  3,  27,  33  centum 
.  .  .  potent  em  oppidis  Creten.  — 
Cretam :  paralleled  in  construction 
with  Syrtis.  —  non  suis  :  i.e.  ad- 
versis.  Cf.  Mart.  10,  104,  3  f.  et 
cursu  facili  tiiisque  ventis  \  His- 
panae  pete  Tarraconis  arces. 

32.  incerto :  in  doubt  whither 
to  turn  his  course.  Intr.  99. 
Cf.  Stat.  Silv.  3,  2,  6  dubio  com- 
mittitur  alto. 

33  f .  capaciores  .  .  .  scyphos : 
ordinary  cups  are  quite  too  small. 
Seneca  adapted  the  expression  de 
Ira  3,  14,  2  bibit  deinde  liber  alius 
quam  alias  capacioribus  scyphis. 
—  puer :  the  universal  address  to 


9.  35J  HORATI 

35  vel  quod  fluentem  nauseam  coerceat 

metire  nobis  Caecubum. 
Curam  metumque  Caesaris  rerum  iuvat 
dulci  Lyaeo  solvere. 

a  slave.  So  the  Greek  Trat.  —  Horace  is  on  the  sea  off  Actiuni 
Chia  .  .  .  Lesbia  :  sweet  Greek  and  beginning  to  suffer  from  sea- 
wines  which  used  in  excess  might  sickness. 

well  produce  the  'rising  qualms'  36  ff.    Caecubum:  the  Caecuban 

mentioned  in  the  next  verse.     The  was    strong    and    dry.  —  rerum: 

frankness   with    which  this  result  obj.gen. — Lyaeo  :  the  *  Releaser' ; 

of  overdrinking  is  mentioned  was  cf.  C  i,  7,  22  ;  3,  21, 16,  as  if  from 

less  offensive  to  the  ancient  than  the  Greek  Xvo),  so  that  there  may 

to   us.      There   is   no  reason  for  be  a  play  between  the  name  and 

saying  as  some  have   done  that  solvere. 


10 

A  propempticon  to  the  poet  Mevius,  hated  by  Horace  and  the  circle 
to  which  he  belonged.  Vergil  has  secured  immortality  for  Mevius  and 
his  associate  Bavius  by  his  verses  £.  3.  90  f.  gjn'  Bavmm  non  odit\ 
atnet  tua  carttihta^  Mevi',  \  at  que  idem  ittngat  viilpes  et  timlgeat  Mr  cos. 
The  ill-nature  of  Horace's  poem  should  be  compared  with  the  good 
wishes  in  the  propempticon  addressed  to  Vergil  C.  1,3. 

That  this  epode  also  is  modeled  on  a  poem  by  Archilochus  is  shown 
by  a  fragment  recovered  from  a  papyrus  sheet  in  1899.^  The  begin- 
ning, which  probably  contained  the  name  of  the  poet's  false  friend,  is 
lost ;  the  fragment,  as  restored,  is  as  follows  : 

KvidfLTi)  7rAa{^oyu,)evos, 
Kav  ^a\fjivB{i^cra)(S  yvfxvov  cv(l>povi<T(jaTa^ 

®pT]LK€<;    aKp6{KO)p.OL 

Xdj3oLev   (ev^a  ttoW    dvaTrXr/cret  KaKO. 

BovXlov  apTov  eSwv) 
pt'yei  ireTrryyoT    avTov  •   €k  Se  tov  (p6}0ov 

<f>VKia  TToXX    iTr{e)xoh 
Kporioi  8'  oSovras,  ws  {kv}<dv  iirl  dTopn 

K€Lfievo'i  oLKpaa-irj 

1  First  published  by  Reitzenstein,  Situngsb.  d.  Akad.  d.  Wissenschaften  zu 
Berlin,  1899,  p.  857  ff. 

434 


EPODON   LIBER  [10,11 

aKpov  irapa  prf/fuva  KVfmTw(v  6)ixov' 

TaiiT    iOeXoi/x'  av  tScTv, 
OS  /x'  rj^LK-qat  \{a}$  8    e^'  opKtbt?  €J3r] 

TO  Trplv  erai/aos  {i)(av. 

* .  .  .  driven  by  the  wave,  and  in  Salmydessus  may  the  tufted  Thracians 
give  him  kindest  welcome,  naked,  stiffened  with  cold,  —  there  shall  he 
suffer  many  woes  to  the  full,  eating  the  bread  of  slavery.  And  I  pray 
that  he  may  have  over  him  (for  his  covering)  deep  weed  from  the  surge, 
that  his  teeth  may  chatter  as  those  of  a  dog  that  in  its  weakness  lies  on 
its  belly  on  the  edge  of  the  strand  near  the  waves.  This  is  what  I  could 
wish  to  see  (the  man  suffer)  who  has  done  me  injustice  and  trampled 
on  his  pledges,  though  he  was  once  my  friend.'     Metre,  74. 

Mala  soluta  navis  exit  alite, 

ferens  olentem  Mevium  : 
ut  horridis  utrumque  verberes  latus, 

Auster,  memento,  fluctibus ; 
5  niger  rudentis  Eurus  inverse  mari 

fractosque  remos  differat ; 
insurgat  Aquilo,  quantus  altis  montibus 

frangit  trementis  ilices, 
nee  sidus  atra  nocte  amicum  adpareat, 
10  qua  tristis  Orion  cadit, 

quietiore  nee  feratur  aequore 

I  f.    mala  .  .   .  alite:    modify-  The  opposite,  C,  i,  7,  1$,  is  a/^s 

ing  soluta.     Cf.  C.   r,  15,  5  fua/a  A7;/«j  and  3,  7,  i  candidus  Favo- 

ducisavidomum.  — olentem:  rank^  nius.  —  inverso  mari :  cf.  Verg.  A. 

for  Horace  will  have  it  that  he,  like  i,  43  evertitque  aequora  vent  is. 

Gargonius.  S.  i,  2,  27,  olet  hircwn.  7.    quantus  :  with  the  power  it 

3  f .    All  the  winds  of  Heaven  has  when,  etc.  —  montibus  :  loca- 

unfavorable  for  a  voyage  to  Greece  tive  abl.     Intr.  95. 

shall  compass  Mevius'  ruin.  —  ut  9  f .    amicum  :    predicate,   with 

verberes:  optative  subjunctive. —  kindly  light.  —  Orion,  etc.  :  Orion's 

memento  :  parenthetical.  setting  is  accompanied  with  heavy 

5.    niger    .    .    .    Eurus:    as   it  winds  and  storms.     Cf.    C.    i,  3, 

gathers  dark  clouds.      Cf.    C    i,  14.     Hence  he,  like  the  Hyades, 

5,  6  aspera  nigris  aequora  ventis.  is  tristis. 

435 


lO,  12] 


HORATI 


15 


quam  Graia  victorum  manus, 
cum  Pallas  usto  vertit  iram  ab  I  Ho 

in  impiam  Aiacis  ratem. 
O  quantus  instat  navitis  sudor  tuis 

tibique  pallor  luteus 
et  ilia  non  virilis  eiulatio 

preces  et  aversum  ad  lovem, 
lonius  udo  cum  remugiens  sinus 

Noto  carinam  ruperit. 
Opima  quod  si  praeda  curvo  litore 

porrecta  mergos  iuverit, 


12.  Graia  victonun  manus  :  the 
adjective  is  equivalent  to  the  geni- 
tive Graeconci/i,  and  so  is  modi- 
fied by  victonun. 

13  f .  After  the  fall  of  Troy,  Pal- 
las transferred  her  wrath  against 
the  city  to  the  Greeks  because 
Ajax  Oileus  had  torn  from  the 
altar  Cassandra,  Pallas'  priestess. 
This  act  polluted  the  entire  fleet. 
Cf  Verg.  A.  i,  39  fF.  Pallasne  ex- 
urere  classem  |  Argivom  atque 
ipsos  potuit  submergere  ponto,  \ 
7/titus  ob  noxam  et  furias  Aiacis 
Oilei? 

15  f.  0  quantus  sudor:  a  remi- 
niscence of  //.  2,  388  ff.  quoted  in 
n.  to  C  I,  15,  9  f  /leii  keie,  quan- 
tus equis,  quantus  adest  viris 
sudor  I  —  luteus:  Greek  w^^pds. 
The  dark  skins  of  Italians  and 
Greeks  take  on  this  greenish 
yellow  tint  when  pale.  Cf.  Tibul. 
I,  8,  52  niinius  luto  corpora  tingit 
amor. 

17  f.    ilia:  almost  equivalent  to 


'  your  common.'  —  non  virilis :  cf. 
Cic.  Tnsc.  2,  55  ingcfnescere  non- 
nuviquant  viro  concesswn  est 
idque  raro,  eiulatus  ne  mulieri 
qtiidem.  —  et :  for  the  position, 
see  Intr.  31.  —  aversum:  cf.  C. 
3,  23,  19  aver  SOS  Penatis. 

ig  f.  udo  .  .  .  Noto:  i.e.  'rain- 
bringing.'  —  remugiens :  cf.  C.  3, 
10,  6. 

21.  opima  praeda:  a  fat  prize. 
—  quod  si :  introducing  a  conclu- 
sion. Cf.  C.  I,  I,  35.  Notice  that 
Horace  here  makes  no  mention  of 
Mevius  by  name,  and  euphemistic- 
ally avoids  ill-omened  expressions 
such  as  t7ii{in  corpus,  which  is 
implied,  however,  in  porrecta.  In 
this  way  he  makes  his  wish  for 
Mevius'  harm  all  the  harsher. 
Porphyrio  saw  a  special  point  in 
opima,  for  he  remarks  apparet  et 
pinguem  fuisse  {Mevium). 

22.  mergos  :  the  voracious  coots 
are,  however,  not  given  to  eating 
carrion. 


436 


EPODON   LIBER 


[".  7 


libidinosus  immolabitur  caper 
et  agna  Tempestatibus. 


23  f.  Horace  mockingly  closes 
with  the  promise  of  a  solemn 
sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  for  the 
storm  that  shall  drown  Mevius. 
The    libidinosus   caper  is   clearly 


chosen  as  a  fit  offering  for  relief 
from  an  oletis  Mevius.  With  the 
sacrifice  of  a  lamb  to  the  storms, 
cf.  Verg.  A.  5,  772  Tempestatibus 
agnam  caedere  deinde  iubet. 


II 

Horace  no  longer  finds  any  pleasure  in  writing  verses,  for  love  once 
more  has  him  in  his  meshes  (1-4).  Two  years  have  passed  since  he 
freed  himself  from  Inachia,  who  long  charmed  and  tortured  him  (5-22)  ; 
now  he  is  ensnared  by  the  fair  Lyciscus  (23-28).  The  Pettius  to  whom 
these  verses  are  addressed  is  otherwise  unknown  to  us.  The  names 
Inachia  and  Lyciscus  are  borrowed  fi-om  the  Greek.     Metre,  80. 

Petti,  nihil  me  sicut  antea  iuvat 

scribere  versiculos  amore  percussum  gravi, 

amore  qui  me  praeter  omnis  expetit 
mollibus  in  pueris  aut  in  puellis  urere. 
5  Hie  tertius  December,  ex  quo  destiti 

Inachia  furere,  silvis  honorem  decutit. 

Heu  me,  per  urbem  (nam  pudet  tanti  maH) 

5  f.  hie  tertius  December,  etc. : 
this  December  which  is  stripping, 
is  the  third  since,  etc.  Horace 
measures  the  years  by  the  month 
in  which  his  birthday  fell.  — 
Inachia  furere :  like  the  Greek 
fiaLvcaOat  iiri.  tivl.  —  honorem  : 
splendor.  Cf.  Verg.  G.  2,  404 
frigidus  et  silvis  aquilo  decussit 
hoHore7H. 

7  f.  nam :  in  apology  for  his  sigh, 
heu  me.  Notice  that  the  broken 
order  also  expresses  Horace's  feel- 
ing of  shame. 


I  f .  nihil :  cognate  object  of 
iuvat.  —  versiculos  :  the  diminu- 
tive in  disparagement  of  the 
epodic  measure,  unsuited  for  love 
verses.  —  amore  :  not  fully  per- 
sonified. 

3  f .  amore  :  for  the  anaphora, 
see  Intr.  28  c.  —  praeter  omnis  : 
the  lover  s  inevitable  extravagance. 
'  No  one  ever  suffered  as  he  does.' 
—  in  puellis  urere:  cf.  C.  i,  17, 
19  f.  dices  labor antis  in  uno  \ 
Penelopen  vitreamque  Circen.  For 
the  infinitive,  see  Intr.  107. 


437 


11,8] 


HORATI 


IS 


f abula  quanta  fui !     Conviviorum  et  paenitet, 
in  quis  amantem  languor  et  silentium 
arguit  et  latere  petitus  imo  spiritus ! 

*  Contrane  lucrum  nil  valere  candidum 

pauperis  ingenium  ! '  querebar  adplorans  tibi, 
simul  calentis  inverecundus  deus 

fervidiore  mero  arcana  promorat  loco. 

*  Quod  si  meis  inaestuet  praecordiis 

libera  bills,  ut  haec  ingrata  ventis  dividat 
fomenta  volnus  nil  malum  levantia, 

desinet  imparibus  certare  submotus  pudor.' 
Vbi  haec  severus  te  palam  laudaveram, 

iussus  abire  domum  ferebar  incerto  pede 


8.  f abula :  subject  of  gossip. 
So  Ovid.  Am.  3,  i,  21  f abula, 
nee  sentis,  iota  iaetaris  m  urbe. 

—  et:  Intr.  31. 

9.  quis  :  this  form  is  found 
only  here  in  the  lyric  poems.  — 
amantem :  sc.  vie.  —  languor  :  lack 
of  interest,  itidifference,  which 
showed  itself  in  his  silence. 

II  f.  The  poet's  indignant  out- 
burst against  his  richer  rivals. 
For  the  construction,  see  Intr.  106. 

—  adplorans:   i.e.  'accompanying 
my  plaints  with  tears.' 

13  f.  simul:  regularly  used  by 
Horace  equivalent  to  sinnd  ac.  — 
calentis :  genitive  agreeing  with 
the  genitive  implied  in  the  pos- 
sessive pronoun  that  is  naturally 
understood  here,  i.e.  mea  arcana. 
Cf.  Cic.  in  Pis.  3,  6  iuravi  hanc 
nrbem  mea  unius  opera  esse  sal- 
vam. — inverecundus  deus :  the  god 
who  destroys  all  verecitndia,  when 


taken  in  excess.  The  god  and  his 
gift  are  identified.  Cf.  the  opposite 
C.  I,  27,  3  verecundum  Bacchiun. 
— mero:  with  calentis. — loco:  i.e. 
'  their  proper  place '  —  my  own 
mind. 

15  ff.  quod  si,  etc.:  resuming  the 
quotation  of  his  former  confidences. 
—  libera  bills  :  *  my  anger  find  free 
speech,'  etc.  Cf.  4,  10  Uberrima 
indignatio.  Propertius  desired  the 
same  relief,  i,  i,  28  sit  modo  liber- 
tas  quae  velit  ira  loqtii.  —  ingrata  : 
vain,  inrita.  Cf  Verg.  A.  9,  312  f 
sed  aurae  \  omnia  discerpunt  et 
nubibus  inrita  donant.  —  fomenta  : 
figuratively  used  of  his  plaintive 
outpourings  to  Pettius.  —  pudor  : 
the  false  pride  that  still  urged  him 
to  the  contest. 

19  f.  ubi  haec  severus,  etc.  : 
when  I  determined  grown  had 
spoken  thus  so  nobly.  —  iussus  :  sc. 
a  te.     Pettius  approved  his  praise- 


438 


EPODON   LIBER  [i2,  8 

ad  non  amicos  heu  mihi  postis  et  heu 

limina  dura,  quibus  lumbos  et  infregi  latus. 
Nunc  gloriantis  quamlibet  mulierculam 

vincere  mollitia  amor  Lycisci  me  tenet; 
25  unde  expedire  non  amicorum  queant 

libera  consilia  nee  contumeliae  graves, 
sed  alius  ardor  aut  puellae  candidae 

aut  teretis  pueri  longam  renodantis  comam. 

worthy  resolution.  —  ferebar :  note  23.  mulierculam :  Lyciscus  uses 
the  tense.  He  wished  to  carry  the  diminutive  disparagingly. 
out  his  determination  to  break  25  f.  expedire :  set  free  (from 
with  his  love,  but  still  with  irreso-  these  toils).  Cf.  C.  i,  27,  23  f. 
lute  steps  (incerto  pede)  he  wan-  vix  inligatmn  te  .  .  .  Pegasus  or- 
dered to  his  mistress'  home.  pediet.  —  libera  consilia  :  frank 
Tibullus  acknowledges  the  same  advice.  Cf.  v.  16.  —  contumeliae: 
weakness,  2,  6,  13  hcravi  quotiens  on  the  part  of  Lyciscus. 
reditiiriim  ad  Ihnina  tmtnquatn :  \  28.  teretis:  s/iapely.  Cf.  C. 
cum  bene  iuravi,  pes  tamen  ipse  2,4,21  teretis  suras.  —  renodantis 
redit.  comam :  binding  his  long  hair  into 
21  f.  heu  .  .  .  heu :  he  sighs  a  knot,  renodo  has  here  the  same 
over  his  weak  will ;  the  exclama-  sense  as  religare  C  i,  5,  4  cui 
tions  are  to  be  taken  with  the  flavam  religas  comam  f  For  the 
entire  sentence  rather  than  with  custom  of  such  boys  to  wear  the 
any  particular  words.  —  dura:  lit-  hair  long,  see  C.  2,  5,  23  f.  ;  3,  20, 
erally,  as  the  relative  clause  shows.  14 ;  4,  10,  3. 

12 

Quid  tibi  vis,  mulier  nigris  dignissima  barris } 

Munera  cur  mihi  quidve  tabellas 
mittis,  nee  firmo  iuveni  neque  naris  obesae } 
Namque  sagacius  unus  odoror, 
5  polypus  an  gravis  hirsutis  cubet  hircus  in  alis, 

quam  canis  acer  ubi  lateat  sus. 
Qui  sudor  vietis  et  quam  malus  undique  membris 
crescit  odor,  cum  pene  soluto 
439 


12,  9]  HORATI 

indoraitam  properat  rabiem  sedare,  neque  illi 
lo-  iam  manet  umida  creta  colorque 

stercore  fucatus  crocodili,  iamque  subando 

tenta  cubilia  tectaque  rumpit ! 
Vel  mea  cum  saevis  agitat  fastidia  verbis : 
'  Inachia  langues  minus  ac  me  ; 
IS  Inachiam  ter  nocte  potes,  mihi  semper  ad  unum 

mollis  opus.     Pereat  male  quae  te 
Lesbia  quaerenti  taurum  monstravit  inertem, 

cum  mihi  Cous  adesset  Amyntas, 
cuius  in  indomito  constantior  inguine  nervus 
20  quam  nova  collibus  arbor  inhaeret. 

Muricibus  Tyriis  iteratae  vellera  lanae 

cui  properabantur  ?     Tibi  nempe, 
ne  foret  aequalis  inter  conviva,  magis  quem 
diligeret  mulier  sua  quam  te. 
25  O  ego  non  felix,  quam  tu  fugis  ut  pavet  acris 

agna  lupos  capreaeque  leones.' 

13 

A  study  from  the  Greek.  The  motive  is  taken  from  the  same  poem 
of  Alcaeus  that  Horace  imitated  later  in  C.  i,  9.  While  snow  and 
rain  fall  outside,  the  poet  calls  his  friends  to  celebrate  the  day  with  ajar 
of  old  wine,  so  long  as  youth  yet  is  theirs.  As  warrant  for  this  he 
quotes  Chiron's  advice  to  his  pupil  Achilles.     Metre,  79. 

Horrida  tempestas  caelum  contraxit,  et  imbres 

nivesque  deducunt  lovem  ;  nunc  mare,  nunc  siluae 

I  f.  caelum  contraxit :  the  heavy  place  of  Hellenistic  and   Roman 

clouds  have  covered  the  sky  and  literature.     Cf.  C.  i,  1.2^  sui/ove 

brought  it  nearer  to  the  earth. —  frigido  {  —  subcaelo).     Verg.  £".  7, 

deducunt  lovem :  the  identification  60  luppiter  et  laeto  descendet  pluri- 

of  the  sky  and  the  supreme  divinity  mus  unbri,  and  G.  2,  325  ff.  turn 

of  the   heavens   was  a   common-  pater  otnnipotens  fecundis  imbri- 

440 


EPODON    LIBER 


[I. 


Threicio  Aquilone  sonant :  rapiamus,  amid, 

occasionem  de  die,  dumque  virent  genua 
et  decet,  obducta  solvatur  fronte  senectus. 

Til  vina  Torqiiato  move  consule  pressa  meo. 
Cetera  mitte  loqui ;  deus  haec  fortasse  benigna 

reducet  in  sedem  vice.     Nunc  et  Achaemenio 
perfundi  nardo  iuvat  et  fide  Cyllenea 

levare  diris  pectora  sollicitudinibus, 


bits  aether  \  coniugis  in  gremuim 
laetae  descendit,  et  omnis  \  inag- 
iiHS  alit  magno  commixtus  cor- 
pore,  fetus.  —  siluae  :  trisyllabic 
as  C.  I,  23,  4. 

3.  Threicio  ||  Aquilone :  for  the 
hiatus,  see  Intr.  43.  Thrace  is 
the  hoYiie  of  the  North  wind.  Cf. 
C.  1,25,  II  Thraciu  .  .  .  vento.  — 
rapiamus  :  an  intensive  expression, 
eagerly  seize.  Plutarch's  dpTrao-as 
Tov  Kaipov.  Cf.  Publil.  Syr.  p.  129 
W.  occasiones  non  modo  accipe, 
arripe. 

4.  de  die  :  '  offered  by  the  day,' 
with  the  suggestion  of  beginning 
early.  Cf.  the  expressions  de  die 
bibere ;  de  die  convivia  facer e. — 

—  virent  genua  :  cf.  C  1,9,  17  donee 
virenti  canities  abest.  Theoc.  14, 
70  TTOietv  Tt  hu.  as  {i.e.   ecos)   ydvv 

5 .  et  decet :  '  youth  is  the  time 
for  drinking';  some  ten  years 
later,  Horace  called  his  friend  to 
a  carouse   diim  licet,  C.  2,  11.  16. 

—  obducta :  clouded. 

6.  tu  :  with  this  abrupt  address 
Horace  invests  one  of  his  imagi- 
nary company  with  the  duties  of 


host.  Cf.  C.  I,  9. — vina  .  .  . 
move,  broach.  Cf.  C.  3,  21,  6 
(jtesta)  moveri  digna  bono  die.  — 
Torquato  .  .  .  consule  .  .  .  meo : 
L.  Manlius  Torquatus,  cos.  65  B.C., 
the  year  of  Horace's  birth.  Cf. 
C  3,  21,  I  0  nata  mecum  consule 
Manlio  (testa). 

7  f .  cetera  :  all  else,  save  words 
of  cheer.  It  is  possible  that  Hor- 
ace means,  '  do  not  discuss  poli- 
tics or  refer  to  our  present  state, 
the  losses  we  have  suffered  in  the 
civil  wars  (haec).'  —  benigna  vice  : 
with  kindly  compensation.  Cf.  C. 
4,  14,  13  plus  vice  sinipiici,  ^with 
more  than  equal  return.'  —  sedem  : 
sc.  suam  ;  cf.  Suet.  Aug.  28  i/a 
mihi  salvani  ac  sospitem  rem  pu- 
blicam  sistere  in  sua  sede  liceat. 

8  f .  Achaemenio  .  .  .  nardo : 
oriental  perfume;  cf.  C.  3,  i,  44 
Achaemetiium  costiwt.  Achaeme- 
nes  was  the  mythical  founder  of  the 
Persian  dynasty.  —  fide  Cyllenea  : 
the  lyre  was  invented  by  Hermes, 
who  was  born  on  Mt.  Cyliene  in 
x4rcadia. 

10.  Cf.  C  4,  II,  35  minuentur 
atrae  carmine  ctirae. 


441 


13.  II] 


HORATI 


nobilis  ut  grandi  cecinit  centaurus  alumno  : 

'  Invicte,  mortalis  dea  nate  puer  Thetide, 
te  manet  Assaraci  tellus,  quam  frigida  parvi 

findunt  Scamandri  flumina  lubricus  et  Simois, 
unde  tibi  reditum  certo  subtemine  Parcae 

rupere,  nee  mater  domum  caerula  te  revehet. 
Illic  omne  malum  vino  cantuque  levato, 

deformis  aegrimoniae  dulcibus  adloquiis.' 


II  ff.  Horace  supports  his  ex- 
hortation by  quoting  the  example 
of  Chiron,  as  he  introduces  Teucer 
later  (C.  i,  7)  for  a  similar  pur- 
pose. —  grandi :  /u/l  grown.  Cf. 
luv.  7,  210  met  liens  virgae  iam 
grandis  Achilles.  —  invicte  :  used 
substantively,  as  Verg.  A.  6,  365 
eripe  me  his,  ittvicte,  malis.  — 
mortalis  :  predicate  with  nate. 
For  the  order,  see  Intr.  21. 

13.  Assaraci  tellus :  Assaracus 
was  king  of  Troy,  great-grand- 
father of  Aeneas.  —  frigida:  prob- 
ably with  reference  to  one  of  the 
Scamander's  sources.  Cf.  //.  22, 
151  f.  17  8'  krkpy]  (sc  trrpff])  Oipt'i 
wpopUi  iiKvia  x'^'^Cy  I  V  X"'*'' 
•A^XPW  V  ^^  vSaros  KpvardXXo). 
—  parvi :  in  Homer  it  is  /ueya? 
TTora/AOS. 

14.  lubricus :  of  the  swiftsmooth 
current.  Cf.  Ovid.  Am.  3,  6,  81 
sHpposuisse  manus  ad  pedora  lu- 
bricus amnis  dicifiir.  The  Sca- 
mander  and  Simois  are  to  be  the 
witnesses  of  Achilles'  mighty  deeds. 


So  the  Fates  prophesy,  Catull.  64, 
357  ff.  testis  erit  magnis  virtuti- 
bus  unda  Scamandri,  \  quae  passim 
rapido  diffunditur  Hellesponto,  \ 
cuius  iter  caesis  angustans  cor- 
poriim  acervis  \  alta  tepefaciet 
permixta  fltimina  caede. 

15  f.  unde:  connect  with  redi- 
tum.—  certo  subtemine:  instru- 
mental ablative  with  rupere.  The 
web  of  the  Fates  determines  man's 
destiny.  Cf.  Catull.  64,  327  cur- 
rite  ducentes  subtegmina,  currite, 
fusi.  Also  Verg.  A.  10,  814  f. 
extremaque  Lauso  \  Parcae  fila 
legunt.  —  caerula :  for  her  home  is 
in  the  sea.  Cf.  n.  to  C  3, 28,  10,  and 
Ovid.  Her.  9,  14  Nereus  caerulus. 

17  f.  illic :  i.e.  before  Troy. 
When  Agamemnon's  envoys  came 
to  Achilles  (//.  9,  186)  they  found 
him  cheering  himself  before  his 
tent,  TQV  8*  €vpov  <l>peva  TepTro/xe- 
vov  <l>6pp.iyyi  Xiyeiy.  —  adloquiis: 
equivalent  to  solaciis.  Cf.  Catull. 
38,  4  queni  tu  .  .  .  qua  solatus  es 
allocutione  f 


442 


EPODON   LIBER 


[14,5 


14 

Maecenas  had  urged  Horace  again  and  again  to  finish  up  some  col- 
lection of  verses,  probably  the  book  of  epodes.  Horace  answers  that 
he  cannot  now,  for  he  is  in  love,  and  even  Anacreon  could  not  write 
polished  verses  when  smitten  with  Bathyllus.  The  poem  closes  with 
the  retort :  '  You  too  are  in  love,  Maecenas,  and  should  understand  ; 
thank  Heaven  that  your  flame  is  not  like  mine.'  The  colloquial  and 
familiar  tone  of  the  epode  should  be  noticed.     Metre,  75. 

Mollis  inertia  cur  tantam  diffuderit  imis 

oblivionem  sensibus, 
pocula  Lethaeos  ut  si  ducentia  somnos 

arente  fauce  traxerim, 
5  candide  Maecenas,  occidis  saepe  rogando : 


1-4.  Maecenas'  constant  ques- 
tion, given  here  in  indirect  form, 
dependent  on  rogando.  v.  5.  — 
mollis :  the  opening  word  gives 
the  keynote  of  the  reproach. 
Horace  has  grown  '  soft,'  and  has 
forgotten  all  his  promises.  —  imis 
.  .  .  sensibus :  dative,  equivalent 
to  penitus.  Cf.  Verg.  E.  3,  54 
sensibus  haec  vnis  reponas. 

3.  Lethaeos  .  .  .  somnos :  the 
sleep  of  complete  forgetfulness. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  714  f.  Lethaei  ad 
flnminis  undatn  \  secures  latices 
et  longa  oblivia  potant.  —  ut  si : 
not  to  be  connected  with  tantam 
only,  but  rather  with  imis  .  .  . 
sensibus,  showing  how  completely 
forgetfulness  has  taken  possession 
of  him. — ducentia:  cf.  C.  3,  i, 
20  f.  non  avium  citharaeqjie  catt- 
fus  I  somnumr educe nt,2L\s,o  Epist. 


I,  2,  31  ad  strepituvi  citharae  ces- 
savit evi  due  ere  soniuum. 

4.  traxerim  :  like  the  Greek 
eA/ceiv ;  stronger  than  the  ordi- 
nary bibere  or  ducere,  which  is 
used  C.  I,  17,  21  pocula  .  .  .  duces 
sub  umbra.  The  latter  word,  how- 
ever, would  be  impossible  here,  as 
it  has  just  been  used  in  v.  3. 

5.  candide  Maecenas  :  with  gen- 
eral reference  to  Maecenas'  upright 
character ;  here  used  because  Hor- 
ace recognizes  the  justice  of  his 
patron's  reproaches.  Cf.  11,  11 
candidum  ingenium.  In  similar 
fashion  he  addresses  Tibullus 
Epist.  I,  4,  I  AIM.,  nostrorutn  ser- 
tnonum  candide  iudex.  Cf.  the 
English  'candid.'  —  occidis:  col- 
loquially extravagant.  Cf.  C.  2, 
17,  I  ;  also  Plant.  Pseud.  931  oc- 
cidis me,  quom  istuc  rogas. 


443 


14,6] 


HORATI 


deus,  deus  nam  me  vetat 
inceptos,  olim  promissum  carmen,  iambos 

ad  umbilicum  adducere. 
Non  aliter  Samio  dicunt  arsisse  Bathyllo 

Anacreonta  Teium, 
qui  persaepe  cava  testudine  flevit  amorem 

non  elaboratum  ad  pedem. 


6  f.  deus,  deus:  'for  it  is  the 
god,  the  god,  I  tell  you,  who.' 
Emphatically  stating  the  cause  of 
his  delay.  Intr.  28a.  —  carmen: 
used  here  apparently  of  the  entire 
collection  for  which  his  friends 
have  so  long  waited  (olim  promis- 
sum). For  the  order  cf.  Epist.  2, 
I,  234  acceptos,  regale  nof/iisma, 
Philippos ;  and  Verg.  E.  2,  3 
inter  densas,  umbrosa  cacianina, 
fagos.  —  iambos :  this  word  seems 
to  show  that  the  poems  in 
epodic  form  are  meant,  for 
this  is  the  term  Horace  applies 
to  them,  Epist.  i,  19,  23 ;  2,  2, 
59.     Intr.  4. 

8.  ad  umbilicum  adducere :  a 
stick  was  fastened  to  the  last  sheet 
of  the  strip  of  papyrus  paper  on 
which  the  book  was  written  ;  when 
the  book  was  finished  the  strip 
was  rolled  on  this  stick,  which  was 
called  the  umbilicus  because  it  was 
in  the  center  of  the  roll.  See  Schrei- 
ber's^/Zd:.?,  pl.9off.  Therefore  the 
phrase  means,  '  to  finish  the  book.' 
So  Martial  opens  the  last  epigram 
of  his  fourth  book  ohe  iam  satis 
est,  ohe  libelle.  \  iam  pervenimus 
usque  ad  umbilicos. 


9-12.  None  of  Anacreon's  poems 
to  his  favorite  Bathyllus  are  pre- 
served, so  that  we  cannot  deter- 
mine the  correctness  of  this  state- 
ment. —  non  aliter  :  generally  used 
to  return  to  the  main  theme  after 
an  illustration,  not  as  here  to  in- 
troduce the  illustration  itself. — 
cava  testudine  :  the  sounding  box 
of  the  lyre.  Cf.  C.  i,  32,  13  f.  o 
decus  Phoebi  et  dapibus  siipreiiii  \ 
grata  testiido  lovis.  —  flevit  amo- 
rem :  gave  sad  expression  to  his 
love.  Domitius  Marsus  says  in 
his  elegy  on  Tibullus  te  quoque 
Vergilio  comitein  non  aequa,  Ti- 
btdle,  I  mors  iuvenem  campos  misit 
ad  Elysios,  \  ne  foret,  aut  elegis 
fnolles  qui  fleret  ar/iores,  \  aut  ca- 
neret  forti  regia  bella  pede.  Dios- 
corides,  a  writer  of  the  Hellenistic 
period,  testifies  that  Anacreon 
often  became  lachrymose  over  his 
love  and  cups.  Atdh.  Pal.  7,  31, 
3  f.  TepirvoraTe  Mow<r»^crtv  'AvaK- 
p€Ov,  o)  TTi  HaOvXXu)  I  ^Xwpov  VTrep 
kvXlkmv  TToXAa/ci  BaLKpv  X^°^'*- 

12.  non  elaboratum,  etc. :  prob- 
ably meaning  that  Anacreon  em- 
ployed only  simple  measures  for 
his  love  poems. 


444 


EPODON   LIBER 


[15.3 


15 


Vreris  ipse  miser ;  quod  si  non  pulchrior  ignis 

accendit  obsessam  Ilion, 
gaude  sorte  tua  :  me  libertina  nee  uno 

contenta  Phryne  macerat. 


13.  ipse:  'you  know  how  it  is 
from  your  own  experience,  Maece- 
nas.' —  quod  si :  now  if;  introduc- 
ing a  supposition  recognized  as 
true.  Cf.  C.  3,  I,  41. — ignis: 
flame,  with  the  same  double 
meaning  that  the  English  word  has. 
Cf.  3,  7, 10  f.  Helen  was  the  'flame' 
that  fired  besieged  Ilion.  The  early 
commentators  think  Maecenas' 
'  flame '  was  Terentia,  whom  he 
later  married.     Cf.  C.  2,  12. 

15  f.  me  :  emphatic,  as  for  me. 
Horace  frequently  thus  concen- 
trates attention  on  himself  at  the 


end  of  his  verses.  Cf.  e.g.  C.  i. 
I,  29,  when  after  enumerating  the 
interests  of  other  men,  he  sud- 
denly says,  me  doctariun  hederae 
praemia  frontiuvi  \  dis  f/iisceni 
superis ;  me  gelidum  nemiis,  etc. 

—  nee :  adding  a  second  char- 
acteristic, —  'she  is  not  only  a  lib- 
ertina, but  she  is  not  even,'  etc. 
Catullus  complains  of  his  Lesbia 
68, 135  uno  tionestcontetita  Catullo. 

—  macerat:  cf.  C.  i,  13,  6  umor 
et  in  genas  furtim  labitnr,  argii- 
ens  I  quam  lentis  penitus  macerer 
ignibus. 


15 

Horace's  reproach  to  faithless  Neaera. 

'In  the  depth  of  night  thou  didst  swear  thy  constancy  to  me  (i-io). 
Now  thou  art  no  longer  true.  I  tell  thee  I  am  man  enough  to  seek 
another  love  (11-16).  Thy  present  lover  may  have  all  riches,  wisdom, 
and  the  beauty  of  a  Nereus,  his  triumph  will  be  short,  for  presently  he 
shall  weep  over  thy  broken  faith.  And  I  shall  laugh  last  (17-24).* 
Metre,  75. 

Nox  erat  et  caelo  fulgebat  lima  sereno 

inter  minora  sidera, 
cum  tu,  magnorum  numen  laesura  deorum, 


I  f .  Night  is  the  time  for  lovers' 
vows ;  the  moon  and  stars  their 
proper  witnesses.  Cf.  Catull.  7, 7  f. 
sidera  .  .  .  cum  facet  nox,  \ ' fur- 
tivos  hominum  vident  amores.  — 


inter  minora  sidera :  repeated  C. 
I,  12,47. 

3  f .  laesura  :  ready  to  outrage. 
Intr.  1 10.  —  in  verba  .  .  .  mea  :  i.e. 
repeating  the  oath  after  me.     The 


445 


15.4] 


HORATI 


in  verba  iurabas  mea, 
artius  atque  hedera  procera  adstringitur  ilex 

lentis  adhaerens  bracchiis, 
dum  pecori  lupus  et  nautis  infestus  Orion 

turbaret  hibernum  mare 
intonsosque  agitaret  Apollinis  aura  capillos, 

fore  hunc  amorem  mutuum. 
O  dolitura  mea  multum  virtute  Neaera ! 

nam  si  quid  in  Flacco  viri  est, 
non  feret  adsiduas  potior!  te  dare  noctis, 

et  quaeret  iratus  parem  ; 


phrase  in  verba  alicuiiis  iurare 
was  originally  a  technical  expres- 
sion for  taking  the  military  oath  of 
fidelity  to  the  general ;  then  ex- 
tended to  include  any  oath  of 
allegiance.  Cf.  Epist.  i,  i,  14 
iurare  in  verba  magistri. 

5 .  artius  atque :  cf.  1 2, 1 4  minus 
ac.  For  the  figure,  cf.  C.  i,  36,  20 
lascivis  hederis  ambitiosior. 

7.  dum,  etc. :  giving  the  oath 
in  indirect  form.  In  the  form  in 
which  the  sentence  was  first  con- 
ceived V.  7  was  a  complete  idea 
dum  pecori  lupus  et  nautis  infestus 
Qxvix\.  {esset) .  The  following  verse 
contains  an  attribute  of  Orion 
which  would  naturally  be  expressed 
by  qui  turbaret,  etc.  This  was, 
however,  made  the  predicate  of 
infestus  Orion  to  parallel  v.  9,  so 
that  dum  pecori  lupus  is  left  with- 
out a  verb.  In  translating  supply 
esset  with  lupus.  For  the  com- 
parison of  the  wolf  and  the  lamb,  cf. 
4,  I  and  n.     On  Orion  as  a  storm- 


bringing  constellation,  cf.  10,  10 
tristis  Orion,  and  C.  i,  28,  21  f.  de- 
vexi  rapidus  comes  Orionis  \  N'ottis. 

9  f .  'So  long  as  Apollo's  youth 
shall  last,'  i.e.  '  forever.'  Cf. 
Tibul.  I,  4,  57  solis  aeterna  est 
Phoebo  Bacchoque  iuvetitas,  \  nam 
decet  intonsus  crinis  utrutnque 
deum.  —  hunc:  this  love  of  ours. 
—  mutuum  :  requited.  Catullus 
says  of  Septumius  and  Acme  45, 
20  mutuis  aniniis  amant  amantur. 

II  f.  virtute:  hlerally,  'spirit 
that  becomes  a  man ' ;  the  idea  is 
repeated  in  si  quid  .  .  .  viri  est.  — 
Flacco :  use  of  the  proper  name 
instead  of  me  gives  the  same 
dignity  to  the  expression  that  is 
lent  to  Teucer's  words  C.  i,  7,  27 
nil  desperandum  Teucro  duce  et 
auspice  Teucro. 

13  f.  potiori  :  more  favored 
rival,  as  C  3,  9,  2  nee  quisquatn 
potior.  —  parem :  i.e.  one  who 
will  return  true  love  with  like  ;  in 
sense  equivalent  to  se  dignam. 


446 


EPODON   LIBER 


[15.24 


15  nec  semel  offensi  cedet  constantia  formae, 

si  certus  intrarit  dolor. 
Et  tu,  quicumqiie  es  felicior  atque  meo  nunc 

superbus  incedis  malo, 
sis  pecore  et  multa  dives  tellure  licebit 
20  tibique  Pactolus  fluat, 

nec  te  Pythagorae  fallant  arcana  renati, 

formaque  vincas  Nirea, 
heu  heu,  translatos  alio  maerebis  amores ; 

ast  ego  vicissim  risero. 


15  f.  offensi :  sc.  Flacci,  modi- 
fying constantia.  Cf.  n.  to  calen- 
tis,  II,  13.  —  formae:  dative. — 
si  .  .  .  dolor :  Horace  has  not  yet 
completely  shut  the  door  of  his 
heart  ;  Neaera  can  still  return. 
But  if  once  his  painful  jealousy  be 
confirmed  (certus  .  .  .  dolor),  then 
beware!    Cf.  ii,  15  ff. 

17  f.  et  tu,  etc. :  the  successful 
rival.  Cf.  Tibul.  i,  5,  69  ai  tu,  qui 
potior  mine  es,  viea  fata  timeto.  — 
superbus  incedis :  struttest  in  thy 
pride.     Cf.  4,  5. 

ig  ff.  Wealth,  wisdom,  beauty 
cannot  oppose  her  fickleness.  — 
licebit :  future  to  conform  to  mae- 
rebis   V.    23.  —  tibique    Pactolus 


fluat :  '  though  you  have  Midas' 
riches.' 

21  f.  Pythagorae  .  .  .  renati : 
cf.  n.  to  C.  I,  28,  10. — arcana  : 
i.e.  his  esoteric  teachings,  reserved 
for  his  closest  disciples.  —  Nirea  : 
cf.  //.  2,  673  f.  Nipevs,  OS  KaAAicTTos 
a.vr]p  VTTO  *IAtov  rjXOev  \  rwv  aXXwv 
Aavawv  /xer  afJLVfJLOva  IlT^Ae/oJva, 
and  C.  3,  20,  15. 

23  f.  heu  heu  :  in  mocking  pity 
for  his  rival.  —  ast :  an  archaic 
form,  favored  by  Vergil,  but  used 
by  Horace  only  here  and  6".  i,  6, 
125  ;  8,  6.  —  risero:  the  fut.  perf. 
expresses  Horace's  confidence. 
'  I  shall  certainly  have  my  time  to 
laugh.' 


16 

This  epode  was  probably  written  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Perusine 
War  between  Octavian  and  Antony,  41  B.C.  At  this  time  Horace  had 
just  returned  broken  in  fortune  after  the  defeat  at  Philippi,  and  had  not 
yet  met  Maecenas,  whose  favor  later  relieved  his  personal  necessities,  or 
been  reconciled  to  the  new  order  of  government.  In  this  poem,  how- 
ever, he  shows  no  thought  for  his  personal  needs,  but  is  anxious  solely 

447 


1 6,  I]  HORATI 

for  the  state,  which  doubtless  seemed  to  many  to  be  sinking  into  ruin. 
The  difference  between  his  feelings  now  and  a  few  years  later  can  be 
seen  from  the  words  C.  i,  14,  17  f.  nuper  solliciiimt  quae  (sc.  navis 
=  civitas)  mihi  taedium,  \  nunc  desideriwn  curaqiie  non  levis.  Sellar 
(p.  122)  has  acutely  observed  that  Horace  seems  to  express  the  feelings 
of  the  losing  side  before  the  peace  of  Brundisium  ;  Vergil,  in  his  fourth 
eclogue,  those  of  the  winning  side  after  its  conclusion.  The  poem  is 
not  only  the  earliest,  but  the  best  of  Horace's  political  verses.  There 
is  an  intensity  of  feeling  and  a  patriotic  enthusiasm  that  did  not  appear 
later  when  the  poet's  anxieties  had  been  calmed  and  somewhat  bliinted. 
In  form  also  it  is  the  most  perfect  of  the  epodes.  Elision  is  wholly 
avoided  in  the  hexameters  —  a  new  effect  in  Latin  verse  —  and  there 
are  only  three  cases  in  the  iambics.  Furthermore  there  is  a  careful 
regard  for  assonance  and  a  skillful  use  of  alliteration  that  combine  with 
other  excellencies  to  make  this  one  of  the  most  remarkable  productions 
of  the  Latin  poets.     The  epode  has  been  a  favorite  with  many. 

The  mention  of  the  Fortunate  Isles  may  be  due  to  the  belief  that 
Sertorius,  after  his  defeat,  wished  to  settle  there.  Cf.  Plut.  Sert.  9. 
The  Scholiast  says  on  v.  42  ad  quas  {insidas  forUmas)  Sallustius  in 
historia  dicit  vktuvt  voluisse  ire  Sertorium.  Probably  the  Canaries  were 
meant.  It  is  not  impossible  that  some  of  the  party  defeated  at  Philippi 
had  conceived  the  same  plan.  The  thought  running  through  the  entire 
epode  is  that  the  state  is  hopelessly  distracted  by  internal  strife ;  it 
cannot  escape  ruin.  Therefore  all  who  are  earnest  and  strenuous  should 
settle  in  a  new  land  where  life  can  begin  anew.  The  poem  should  be 
compared  with  Epod.  7  and  with  Vergil's  E.  4.     Metre,  76. 

Altera  iam  teritur  bellis  civilibus  aetas, 
suis  et  ipsa  Roma  viribus  ruit. 

iff.    Solon    had    similar    fore-  — altera  .  .   .  aetas:  a  second 

bodings  for   the   Athenian   state,  generation   from    that   of  Marius 

4,  I  ff.  y]\x.vrkpa.  Sc  ttoAis  Kara  /xev  and  Sulla,  in  whose  time  civil  war 

Atos    ovTzor     oAetrai   |  aTtrav    kox  began. — teritur:  is  being  wasted. 

fxaKapoiv  6eC)v   <f>piva<;  d^avartov  |  2.    suis  et  ipsa,  etc. :    cf.    Livy 

.   .  .  avTol    Se    <f)6eipeLv    fieydXrjv  Praef.    res .  .  .utiammagnitudine 

TToAtv  a(l>pa8Lrj<nv  |  darol  jSovXovraL  labor  et  sua,  and  Aug.  Civ.  Dei  18, 

Xpi]p^o-L    TretOoiMcvoi,    \    Srjfxov    ff  45  Roma  late  orbi  terrarum  iin- 

■^yifiovMV  aSiKos  V005,  olcriv  eToTfxov  \  perans  tamquam    se   ipsa  ferre 

v/8ptos   €K   fx,e.ya.X.r]<i  dXyea   TroXAa  non    valens  sua   se  quodammodo 

Tradetv.  tnagnitudine  fregerat.     In   these 

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[i6,7 


Quam  neque  finitimi  valuerunt  perdere  Marsi 
minacis  aut  Etrusca  Porsenae  manus, 

aemula  nee  virtus  Capuae  nee  Spartacus  acer 
novisque  rebus  infidelis  Allobrox, 

nee  fera  eaerulea  domuit  Germania  pube 


passages,  however,  the  idea  is  that 
Rome  has  grown  too  great,  whereas 
Horace  feels  that  the  state  is 
rushing  to  suicidal  ruin. 

3-8.  An  enumeration  of  the 
great  dangers  that  have  threatened 
Rome  from  without,  arranged  ac- 
cording to  distance  rather  than 
time.  —  quam  :  that  city  which.  — 
Marsi :  who  led  in  the  Social  War 
in  91  B.C. ;  they  proposed  to  reduce 
Rome  and  to  establish  a  new 
capital  of  Italy  at  Corfinium.  — 
Porsenae  manus  :  '■  Lars  Porsena  of 
Clusium,'  who  adopted  the  cause 
of  the  banished  Tarquins  and 
accordingly  brought  the  city  to 
surrender.  Tacitus  in  writing  of 
the  burning  of  the  Capitol  in  the 
year  of  anarchy  69  a.d.  employs  a 
similar  expression,  Hist.  3,  72 
nullo  externa  hoste  .  .  .  sedem  lovis 
....  qitat/i  nan  Porsena  dedita 
iirbe  neque  Galli  capta  temerare 
pot7iissent,  furore  principum  ex- 
scindi ! 

5.  aemula  nee  virtus  Capuae : 
cf.  the  reminiscence  in  Auson.  Ord. 
Urb.  Nobil.  49  f.  de  Capua :  tiunc 
subdita  Romae  \  aemula.  After 
the  battle  of  Cannae  in  216  B.C. 
the  Capuans  went  over  to  Hanni- 
bal, and  openly  aimed  to  become 
the  leaders  in  Italy.    The  Romans 


never  forgot  this  perfidy.  Cf.  Cic. 
Leg.  Agr.  2,  87  quo  in  oppido 
niaiores  nostri  nullani  omnino  rem 
publicam  esse  voluerunt ;  qui  tres 
solum  urbes  in  t  err  is  omnibus.,  Kar- 
thaginem,  Corinthum,  Capuam, 
siaiuerunt  posse  imperii  gravi- 
tatetn  ac  notnen  sustinere.  —  Spar- 
tacus acer :  the  gladiator  who 
carried  on  the  war  against  the  Ro- 
mans 73-71  B.C.     Cf.  C.  3,  14,  19. 

6.  nov is  rebus  :  abl.  oftime. — 
Allobrox  :  with  reference  to  the 
conspiracy  of  Catiline  in  63  B.C., 
when  an  attempt  was  made  to  win 
over  to  the  side  of  the  conspiracy 
the  Allobrogian  envoys  then  in 
Rome.  They  hesitated,  but  finally 
decided  it  was  for  their  interests 
to  betray  the  plot.  Cf.  Sail.  Cat. 
40  ff.,  Cic.  in  Cat.  3,  4.  In  54  B.C., 
however,  they  revolted  but  were 
subdued  by  C.  Pomptinus,  and  this 
revolt  was  thought  to  be  due  to 
the  conspiracy.  Cf.  Cic.  Pror. 
Cons.  32  C.  Pomptinus  .  .  .  ortum 
repent e  bellum  Allobrogum  at  que 
hac  scelerata  coniuratione  (sc. 
Catiliuaria)  excitatum  proeliis 
/regit  eosque  domuit,  qui  laces- 
sierant. 

7.  The  greatest  danger  to  Rome 
since  its  capture  by  the  Gauls  in 
390  B.C.  was  the  invasion  of  the 


29 


449 


I6,  8] 


HORATI 


parentibusque  abominatus  Hannibal, 
impia  perdemus  devoti  sanguinis  aetas, 

ferisque  rursus  occupabitur  solum. 
Barbarus  heu  cineres  insistet  victor  et  urbem 

eques  sonante  verberabit  ungula, 
quaeque  carent  ventis  et  solibus  ossa  Quirini 

(nefas  videre)  dissipabit  insolens. 


Teutones  and  Cimbri.  who  were 
defeated  and  cut  to  pieces  by 
Marius  at  Aquae  Sextiae  in  102  B.C., 
and  at  Versellae  in  the  following 
year.  —  caerulea  :  blue-eyed.  The 
blue  eyes  and  fair  hair  of  the 
Germans  excited  the  wonder  of 
the  dark  Italians.  Cf.  luv.  13, 
164  f.  caerula  quis  stiipuit  Ger- 
maiiilumina.  flavam  \  caesariem? 

8.  parentibus  abominatus :  cf. 
C.  I,  I,  24  bella  »1  at  rib  us  detest  at  a. 

9  f .  impia  .  .  .  aetas :  in  oppo- 
sition with  the  subject  of  perdemus. 
Cf.  C.  I,  35,  34  quid  nos  dura 
refugimus  aetas  /  —  devoti  san- 
guinis :  with  a  taint  in  the  blood, 
caused  by  the  scelus  fraternae 
necis  7,  18.  —  rursus  :  as  before  the 
founding  of  Rome. 

II  f.  barbarus  :  the  Parthian 
particularly  was  in  Horace's  mind, 
as  eques  in  the  following  verse 
shows.  Cf.  7,  9.  —  cineres :  i.e. 
of  fallen  Rome.  Accus.  with  in- 
sistet.—  sonante:  'and  the  hoofs 
of  the  victor's  horse  will  clatter 
and  echo  through  the  empty 
streets.'  Cf.  Ezek.  26,  11  'with 
the  hoofs  of  his  horses  shall  he 
tread  down  all  thy  streets.' 


13.  carent:  now  are  safe  from. 
Tradition  placed  the  tomb  of  Ro- 
mulus —  in  spite  of  his  apotheosis 
—  behind  the  rostra.  So  Porph. 
Varro  post  rostra  fuisse  sepultum 
Roinulurn  dicit.  Whether  it  was  at 
the  spot  marked  by  a  slab  of  black 
stone  was  uncertain,  according  to 
Festus,  p.  177  M.  niger  lapis  in 
Comitio  locuTH  funestuni  signifcat, 
lit  alii,  Romuli  morti  destinatuni. 
In  1899-1900  the  spot  beneath  this 
niger  lapis  was  excavated,  but 
nothing  that  could  be  regarded  as 
a  tomb  of  a  hero  was  discovered ; 
yet  the  place  was  clearly  hallowed, 
as  the  remains  of  sacrifices  show.. 
The  most  important  discovery  was 
a  fragmentary  ancient  inscription, ' 
which  can  hardly  be  later  than 
500  B.C. 

14.  nefas  videre :  sc.  est.  Said 
with  reference  to  the  entire  act  of 
desecration.  —  insolens  :  all  un- 
wittingly. Cf.  C.  I,  5,  8.  With 
the  expression  in  the  last  two 
verses,  cf.  Jeremiah  8,  i  'At  that 
time,  saith  the  Lord,  they  shall 
bring  out  the  bones  of  the  kings 
of  Judah,  and  the  bones  of  his 
princes,   and    the    bones    of    the 


450 


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[i6,  23 


15  Forte  quid  expediat  communiter  aut  melior  pars 

malis  carere  quaeritis  laboribus. 
Nulla  sit  hac  potior  sententia :  Phocaeorum 

velut  profugit  exsecrata  civitas 
agros  atque  laris  patrios  habitandaque  fana 
20  apris  reliquit  et  rapacibus  lupis, 

ire  pedes  quocumque  ferent,  quocumque  per  undas 

Notus  vocabit  aut  protervus  Africus. 
Sic  placet,  an  melius  quis  habet  suadere  ?     Secunda 


priests,  and  the  bones  of  the 
prophets,  and  the  bones  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  out  of 
their  graves :  .  .  .  they  shall  be 
for  dung  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth.' 

15  ff.  The  poet  dramatically 
appeals  to  his  audience  as  if  it 
were  assembled  in  council. —  forte : 
equivalent  to  forsitan.  Instead 
of  putting  the  clause  in  the  form 
of  a  condition,  si  .  .  .  quaeritis,  a 
direct  statement  is  used. — com- 
muniter :  equivalent  to  omties,  in 
contrast  to  melior  pars.  —  aut :  or 
at  least.  —  carere  :  to  escape.  An 
infinitive  of  purpose,  dependent  on 
quid  expediat.  Intr.  107.  Cf.  C. 
1 .  26,  I  met  us  tradatn  .  .  .  portare 
'  cutis. 

17  f.  nulla  sit,  etc.:  'no  pro- 
posal shall  prevail  over  this.'  The 
proposal  proper  begins  v.  21  ire. 
etc. — Phocaeorum:  in  534  B.C.  the 
Phocaeans  left  their  home  rather 
than  submit  to  the  Persian  yoke. 
The  story  is  told  by  Herodotus  i, 
165.  — exsecrata:  having  bound 
themselves  by  a  curse  (if  any  should 


try  to  return).  Herod.  I.e.  kiroirj- 
(xavro  i<T)(ypa<i  /carapas  toJ  inroXenro- 
fxevw  eavTOiv  tov  crrdXov.  They  fur- 
thermore sunk  a  mass  of  iron  in 
the  sea  and  swore  they  would  not 
return  to  Phocaea  until  the  iron 
should  come  to  the  surface  again. 
This  act  became  proverbial.  Cf. 
Callim.  frg.  209  ^wKaiwv  fJ-^XP'-^ 
K€  ixivYj  /ueya?  eiV  dAt  fJLvBpo<;. 

19.  laris  patrios  .  .  .  fana :  "their 
hearths  and  temples.'  —  habitanda, 
etc. :  marking  the  desolation  of 
their  city.     Cf.  n.  to  v.  10  above. 

21  f.  pedes  .  .  .  per  undas :  '  by 
land  and  sea.'  —  quocumque  .  .  . 
quocumque  :  the  anaphora  marks 
the  poet's  feeling.  Intr.  28  c.  — 
vocabit :  of  a  favorable  wind.  Cf. 
Catull.  4.  19  f.  laeva  sive  dexter  a  \ 
vocaret  aura. 

23  f.  sic.  placet:  the  language 
of  the  Roman  senate,  where  the 
form  of  putting  the  question  was 
piacetne  f  Thus  Horace  continues 
the  dramatic  figure  of  a  delibera- 
tive assembly.  —  suadere  :  with 
habeo.  like  the  Gr.  e;^w  TrdOav  — 
secunda  .  .  .  alite :  cf.  n.  to  10,  i. 


451 


1 6,  24] 


HORATI 


ratem  occupare  quid  moramur  alite  ? 
25  Sed  iuremus  in  haec  :  '  Simul  imis  saxa  renarint 

vadis  levata,  ne  redire  sit  nefas ; 
neu  conversa  domum  pigeat  dare  lintea  quando 

Padus  Matina  laverit  cacumina, 
in  mare  seu  celsus  procurrerit  Appenninus, 
30  novaque  monstra  iunxerit  libidine 

mirus  amor,  iuvet  ut  tigris  subsidere  cervis 

adulteretur  et  columba  miluo, 
credula  nee  ravos  timeant  armenta  leones, 

ametque  salsa  levis  hircus  aequora.' 
35  Haec  et  quae  poterunt  reditus  abscindere  dulcis 

eamus  omnis  exsecrata  civitas, 
aut  pars  indocili  melior  grege ;  mollis  et  exspes 

inominata  perprimat  cubilia. 


25.  sed  :  '  but  before  we  set  sail, 
we  must  bind  ourselves  by  an  oath 
as  the  Phocaeans  did.'  —  in  haec  : 
sc.  verba.  Cf.  n.  to  1 5, 4.  —  simul, 
etc. :  the  simple  'never'  which  we 
might  expect  is  expanded  into  four 
dSwara,  a  favorite  figure  with  the 
Romans.  Cf.  C.  i,  29,  10  if.  ;  33, 
7  f.  Verg.  E.  I,  59  fF.  — vadis :  abl. 
of  separation. 

28.  Matina  .  .  .  cacumina :  in 
Apulia.  Cf.  I,  28,  3.  'The  river 
shall  climb  the  mountain  heights.' 
Then  follows  the  opposite  figure  of 
the  Apennines  running  into  the  sea. 

30.  nova :  strange,  unnatural. 
—  monstra :  proleptic,  changed  to 
un  natural  monsters  by  their  strange 
passion  (mirus  amor) . 

31  f.  subsidere:  mate  with. 
The  reversal  of  nature  is  the  more 


complete  as  the  tiger  and  the  lion 
become  gentle,  the  deer  and  cattle 
bold  ;  the  dove  too  is  to  be  wanton, 
whereas  it  was  typical  of  fidelity. 
Cf.  Prop.  3,  7,  27  exemplo  iunctae 
tibi  sint  in  aniore  columbae.  — 
miluo :  trisyllabic. 

33  f .  credula :  proleptic,  trust- 
ful. —  levis :  also  proleptic,  become 
smooth,  like  a  sea  animal. 

35  f .  haec :  resuming  the  pre- 
ceding oath  ;  object  of  exsecrata. 
—  et  quae  :  and  whatever  else.  — 
civitas :  for  the  construction,  cf. 
V.  9  aetas. 

37  f .  aut  pars  .  .  .  melior :  cf. 
n.  to  V.  15.  The  dull  crowd,  the 
inactive  (mollis),  and  the  faint- 
hearted (exspes)  may  remain  be- 
hind.—  inominata:  equivalent  to 
male  ominata  ;  found  only  here. 


45: 


EPODON   LIBER 


[i6,  47 


Vos,  quibus  est  virtus,  muliebrem  toUite  luctum, 
40  Etrusca  praeter  et  volate  litora. 

Nos  manet  Oceanus  circumvagus  ;  arva  beata 

petamus,  arva  divites  et  insulas, 
reddit  ubi  Cererem  tellus  inarata  quotannis 
et  imputata  floret  usque  vinea, 
45  germinat  et  numquam  fallentis  termes  olivae 

suamque  pulla  ficus  ornat  arborem, 
mella  cava  manant  ex  ilice,  montibus  altis 


39  f.  vos:  i.e.  the  melior  pars. 
—  virtus :  manly  courage,  in  con- 
trast to  muliebrem  .  .  .  luctum.  — 
Etrusca  .  .  .  litora :  on  the  voyage 
to  the  West.  —  et :  for  the  position, 
see  Intr.  31. 

41  f.  nos,  etc.  :  the  decision  is 
now  made,  and  the  poet  returns  to 
the  glories  of  their  new  home  in 
the  Fortunate  Isles. — circumvagus : 
apparently  coined  by  Horace  to 
reproduce  the  Homeric  dij/6ppoo<;, 
the  stream  that  circles  around  the 
world.  Ovid.  AfeL  i,  30  uses  czr- 
cuvtflims  for  the  same  purpose. 
Cf.  Aesch.  P.  V.  138  ff.  Tov  ttc/di 
Tracrdv  0  elXLaaofJiivov  \  )(66v  olkol- 
■'r/T(p  pf.vfx.aTL  TraiSes  Trarpos  Q,Ke- 
rov.  'Children  of  father  Ocean, 
who  circles  round  the  entire  earth 
with  stream  unwearied.'  —  arva 
.  .  .  arva :  Intr.  28  c  —  divites 
insulas  :  i.e.  the  Fortunate  Isles  in 
the  Western  sea  ;  Homer's  Elysian 
Plain  {Od.  4,  563  flf.).  Hesiod's 
Islands  of  the  Blest  {Op.  170  ff.), 
where  the  heroes  dwell.  Cf.  also 
Tenn.  Ulysses,  '  It  may  be  that  the 
gulfs  will  wash  us  down  :  |  It  may 


be  we  shall  touch  the  Happy  Isles, 
I  And  see  the  great  Achilles,  whom 
we  knew.'  The  'Fortunate  Isles' 
of  later  times  are  probably  to  be 
identified  with  the  Madeiras  or  the 
Canaries,  which  were  visited  by 
the  traders.  In  this  distant  west- 
ern land  poets  thought  that  nature 
supplied  all  man's  needs  without 
effort  on  his  part. 

43.   reddit :  i.e.  as  man's  due. 

45  f .  numquam  fallentis  :  cf.  C. 
3,  I,  2)'^  fundus  mendax.  This, 
like  imputata  and  inarata  above, 
emphasizes  man's  ease  and  confi- 
dence there.  —  suam :  emphatic. 
The  better  varieties  of  figs  can  be 
obtained  only  by  grafting.  Cf.  2, 
19  insitiva  pira  and  n.  So  Vergil 
says  of  a  grafted  tree,  G.  2,  82 
7niraturque  novas  frondes  et  non 
sua  povta.  —  pulla  :  i.e.  '  ripe.' 

47.  mella  :  typical  of  abundance, 
like  the  Biblical  'land  flowing  with 
milk  and  honey.'  Cf.  C.  2,  19, 
10-12,  and  Tibul.  i,  3,  45  f  ipsae 
mella  dabant  quercus,  ultroque  fe- 
rebant  \  obvia  securis  libera  lactis 
oves.  —  montibus:  Intr.  95. 


453 


1 6,  48] 


IIORATI 


50 


61 


53 


levis  crepante  lympha  desilit  pede. 
Illic  iniussae  veniunt  ad  mulctra  capellae, 

refertque  tenta  grex  amicus  ubera, 
nee  vespertinus  eircum  gemit  ursus  ovile, 

neque  intumescit  alta  viperis  humus ; 
nulla  noeent  peeori  eontagia,  nullius  astri 

gregem  aestuosa  torret  impotentia. 
Pluraque  felices  mirabimur,  ut  neque  largis 

aquosus  Eurus  arva  radat  imbribus, 


48.  The  music  of  this  verse  has 
been  noted  by  commentators  ever 
since  Porphyrio's  day.  Cf.  C.  3, 
13,  15  f.  unde  loqttaces  lymphae 
desilmnt  tuae.  In  this  verse  the 
/>-sound  is  added  to  that  of  the 
liquid.  This  new  home  vi'ill  also 
have  an  abundant  supply  of  water, 
which  is  far  more  important  in  such 
countries  as  Italy,  especially  in  the 
siticulosa  Apulia^  or  in  our  Cali- 
fornia, where  there  is  a  long  dry 
season,  than  in  the  middle  and 
eastern  part  of  the  United  States. 
—  pede :  carrying  the  figure  in 
desilit  to  its  extreme.  Anticipated 
by  Lucretius  5,  272  qjia  via  secta 
semel  liqiddo  pede  dehilit  undas. 

49  ff.  The  cattle  need  no  herds- 
man to  bring  them  home,  no  pro- 
tection against  wild  beasts.  A 
little  later  Vergil  used  the  same 
description  to  picture  the  golden 
age  that  was  approaching,  E.  4, 
21  f.  ipsae  lacte  do/nutn  referent 
distenta  capellae  \  ubera.  In  Ver- 
gil's verse  ipsae  is  equivalent  to 
Horace's  iniussae,  and  distenta  re- 
places the  simple  tenta. 


51.  vespertinus:  in  effect  an 
adverb.  Cf.  Verg.  G.  3,  537  f. 
non  lupus  insidias  explorai  ovilia 
eircum  \  nee  gregibus  nocturnus 
obambulai.  —  eircum  gemit :    Intr. 

33- 

52.  intumescit :  the  action  of 
the  angry  snake  is  transferred  to 
the  ground.  Cf.  Intr.  99. — alta: 
proleptic  with  intumescit,  swells 
atid  rises  with. 

61  f.  These  verses  stand  in  all 
the  Mss.  after  v.  60,  but  are  ob- 
viously out  of  place  ;  by  transfer- 
ring them  to  this  position  the  con- 
tinuity of  thought  is  maintained. 
—  nulla  .  .  .  nullius:  Intr.  28  c. — 
astri :  especially  such  as  Sirius  :  cf. 
C.  3,  29,  17  ff.  — aestuosa  . . .  impo- 
tentia :  the  dog-star"s  furious  heat, 
which  brings  disease  on  the  flocks 
and  herds.  With  this  meaning  of 
impotentia,  cf.  itnpotens  C.  i,  37, 

53-56.  *  They  shall  be  oppressed 
neither  by  too  abundant  rains  as 
in  the  Italian  winter,  nor  by  too 
great  drought  as  in  the  Italian 
summer.'  —  ut :  how.  —  radat :   cf. 


454 


EPODON   LIBER 


[i6,  66 


55  pinguia  nee  sieeis  urantur  semina  glaebis, 

utrumque  rege  temperante  caelitum. 
Non  hue  Argoo  eontendit  remige  pinus, 

neque  impudica  Colchis  intulit  pedem  ; 
non  hue  Sidonii  torserunt  cornua  nautae, 
60  laboriosa  nee  eohors  Ulixei : 

63  luppiter  ilia  piae  seerevit  litora  genti, 

ut  inquinavit  aere  tempus  aureum  ; 
65  aere,  dehine  ferro  duravit  saeeula,  quorum 

piis  seeunda  vate  me  datur  fuga. 


Lucret.  5,  256  ripas  radentia  flit- 
mina  rodunt.  —  siccis  :  proleptic. 

57-60.  '•  That  land  is  yet  uncon- 
taminated  by  man  ;  no  adventurers 
or  traders  have  ever  reached  its 
shores.'  —  Argoo  remige  :  collect- 
ively, an  instrumental  abl.  With 
the  use  of  the  adjective,  cf.  Etrusca 
V.  4  above  and  n.  to  10, 12. — pinus: 
i.e.  the  ship  made  from  the  pines  of 
Pelion.  Cf.  Eurip.  Med.  3  f.  /a?;8'  eV 
vaTraitrt  IlijXtov  irtixav  irort  \  Tfirj- 
dtiaa  TrevKY}.  'Would  that  the 
pine  had  ne'er  fallen  under  the  ax 
in  the  vale  of  Pelion.'  And  Catull. 
64, 1  f.  Peliaco  quondatn  progtiatae 
vertice  pinus  \  dicuntur  liquidas 
Ncpttini  nasse  per  undas.  —  im- 
pudica Colchis :  Medea,  queen  of 
sorceresses,  who  helped  Jason  win 
the  golden  fleece,  and  then  fled 
with  him  in  the  Argo,  murdering 
her  brother  Apsyrtus  to  delay  her 
father's  pursuit. 

59  f.  Sidonii :  the  great  traders 
of  antiquity.  —  torserunt  cornua  : 


swung  their  yards,  i.e.  directed 
their  ships.  —  laboriosa  :  the  epi- 
thet proper  to  Ulysses  —  Homeric 
TToAuVXas,  ttoAhtAi^/xwv — is  trans- 
ferred to  his  companions.  Cf.  17, 
16.     Intr.  99. 

63  f.  seerevit :  set  apart  for  an 
upright  people  (piae  genti),  i.e.  the 
vielior  pars,  comprising  Horace 
and  his  friends.  — ut :   temporal. 

—  inquinavit :  alloyed. 

65.  aere:  in  the  same  constmc- 
tion  as  ferro.  For  the  anaphora, 
cf.  arva,  arva  v.  42.  Intr.  28  c. 
The  present  age  is  the  age  of  iron. 

—  quorum  :  from  which.,  objective 
gen.  with  fuga.  —  vate  me  :  accord- 
ing to  my  prophecy;  vates,  'in- 
spired bard,'  was  the  earliest  word 
for  poet  among  the  Romans,  but 
had  been  displaced  by  poeta  until 
the  poets  of  the  Augustan  Age 
restored  it  to  its  former  dignity. 
Cf.  Verg.  A.  6,  662  qtdqjie  pit 
vates  et  Phoebo  digna  locuti.  Cf. 
C.  I,  1,35. 


455 


17.  I] 


HORATI 


17 

A  mock  palinode  addressed  to  Canidia ;  in  pretended  terror  at  the 
sorceress'  power  Horace  pleads  for  mercy.  Yet  in  his  very  prayer  (i- 
52),  as  also  in  Canidia's  reply  (53-81),  he  makes  his  sharpest  attack  by 
rehearsing  again  all  the  charges  he  has  ever  made  against  her.  Cf. 
Epod.  5  and  6".  1,8.  With  the  palinodic  form,  cf.  C.  i,  16.  The  date 
of  composition  naturally  falls  after  these  other  two  poems  ;  it  cannot  be 
more  accurately  fixed.     Metre,  58. 

lam  iam  efficaci  do  manus  scientiae, 
supplex  et  oro  regna  per  Proserpinae, 
per  et  Dianae  non  movenda  numina, 
per  atque  libros  carminum  valentium 
5  refixa  caelo  devocare  sidera, 

Canidia,  parce  vocibus  tandem  sacris 
citumque  retro  solve,  solve  turbinem. 


I .  iam  iam :  cf.  2, 68,  where  the 
meaning,  however,  differs,  owing 
to  the  tense  of  the  verb.  So  Ca- 
tullus says  63,  73  iain  iam  dolet 
qiwdegi.  Intr.  28  c.  —  ef&caci .  .  . 
scientiae  :  for  it  has  accomplished 
its  end,  and  Horace  is  forced  to 
recognize  its  power.  —  do  manus  : 
yield  like  a  captive  who  extends 
his  hands  for  fetters. 

2  ff.  Horace  adjures  her  by  the 
divinities  and  powers  under  whose 
protection  she  stands.  —  et,  etc. : 
for  the  position  of  the  conjunctions, 
see  Intr.  31.  —  Dianae  :  z'.^.  Hecate. 
Cf  n.  to  5,  51. — non  movenda :  ac- 
cording to  Porphyrio,  equivalent  to 
Hon  lacessenda  —  jiot  to  be  dis- 
turbed with  inipjtnity,  inviolable. 

4  f .  libros,  etc. :  books  contain- 
ing formulae  for  incantations  and 
magic.     Cf  Acts  19,  19  'And  not 


a  few  of  them  that  practiced  curi- 
ous arts  brought  their  books  to- 
gether, and  burned  them  in  the 
sight  of  all.'  —  valentium  .  .  .  de- 
vocare: cf.  V.  78  and  n.  to  5,  45. 
—  refixa :  proleptic  —  unfix  and, 
as  if  the  stars  were  fastened  to  the 
vault  of  heaven.  Cf.  Verg.  A.  5, 
527  f.  caelo  ceu  saepe  refixa  \  trans- 
currunt  crine7nque  volantia  sidera 
ducunt. 

6.  parce  :  refrain  from.  Cf. 
C  3,  14,  12  male  ominatis  par  cite 
verbis.  —  sacris  :  intentionally  am- 
biguous, meaning  both  'holy'  and 
'accursed.'     Cf.  n.  to  7,  20. 

7.  citum:  a  participle  {ciere), 
proleptically  used  with  retro,  whirl 
swiftly  backward,  and,  etc. — solve, 
solve:  Intr.  28  b.  —  turbinem:  a 
rhombus,  or '  bull  roarer,'  employed 
in  magic  rites.     It  was  a  smooth 


456 


EPODDN   LIBER 


C«7.  14 


Movit  nepotem  Telephus  Nereium, 
in  quem  superbus  ordinarat  agmina 
Mysorum  et  in  quem  tela  acuta  torserat. 
Unxere  matres  Iliae  addictum  feris 
alitibus  atque  canibus  homicidam  Hectorem, 
postquam  relictis  moenibus  rex  procidit 
heu  pervicacis  ad  pedes  Achillei. 


board  which,  when  whirled  at  the 
end  of  a  string,  made  a  whirring 
noise,  and  was  supposed  to  exer- 
cise a  charm  over  the  intended 
victim.  To  loose  the  spell  it  was 
whirled  in  the  opposite  direction 
(retro).  It  is  still  in  use  among 
some  uncivilized  peoples.  See 
Andrew  Lang,  Custom  and  Myth, 
p.  29  ff.     Cf.  Theoc.  Id.  2,  30  f. 

e^  ' A(f)poSLTa<;  \  a»s  kcTvos  Sti/oiTO 
TToO'  dfieTtprjcn  dvprfai.  '  And  as 
whirls  this  brazen  wheel,  so  rest- 
less, under  Aphrodite's  spell,  may 
he  turn  and  turn  about  my  doors, 
(Lang).  Lucian,  Dml.  Meretr. 
4,  5  describes  its  use. 

8-18.  Three  mythical  examples 
of  the  effect  of  supplication.  Tele- 
phus, King  of  the  Mysians,  was 
wounded  by  Achilles  when  the 
Greeks  landed  at  Troy.  His 
wound  would  not  heal,  and  he  was 
finally  forced  to  come  as  a  suppliant 
to  his  enemy,  in  accordance  with 
an  oracle  which  said  he  could  be 
cured  only  by  the  rust  of  the  spear 
that  had  struck  him.  Aged  Pri- 
am's prayers  made  Achilles  relent 
and  give  back  Hector's  body.  Circe 


allowed  Odysseus'  companions  to 
regain  their  human  form.  —  ne- 
potem .  .  .  Nereium  :  Achilles' 
mother  Thetis  was  the  daughter  of 
Nereus. 

1 1 .  unxere  :  i.e.  prepared  for 
burial  Hector's  body.  — addictum : 
i.e.  destined  to  be  the  food  of., 
etc.,  as  a  consolation  to  Patroclus' 
shade.  Cf.  //.  23,  179  ff.  yaxpip-oi, 
0)  HdrpoKXe,  kol  €lv  Atoao  oo/AOtci  • 
TrdvTa  yap  ■^Sr]  tol  reXew,  to.  irdpoi- 
dtv  viTidT-qv.  I  SwScKa  jxkv  Tpuxov 
fieyaOvfioiv  uteas  i(jd\ov<;  \  Tous 
a/xa  (TOL  Travras  Trvp  iaOuL  •     EiKTopa 

8      OV     TL     \     BiiXTO)     IIpUlfJiL8r)V     TTVpl 

SaTrTe/xev,  dXXa  Kwecrcrtv. 

12.  homicidam  :  reproducing 
the  Homeric  "EKTwp   dv8/3o<^dvos. 

13  f.  rex:  Priam.  For  the  Ro- 
mans the  pathos  of  the  situation 
lay  not  in  Priam's  loss  of  his  son, 
but  in  the  fact  that  this  mighty 
king  was  forced  to  humiliate  him- 
self and  weep  for  his  son  before 
Achilles.  Cf.  //.  24,  509  f.  6  /xei/ 
"EKTopos  dvSpo(f>6voLO  I  kXoi  dSivd 
irpOTrdpoiOe  ttoSwv  'A^^tX^os  iXv- 
aOus .  It  is  said  this  passage  moved 
IViacaulay  to  tears.  —  pervicacis  : 
obstinate,  but  vielding  in  the  end. 


457 


17.  15] 


HORATI 


15  Saetosa  duris  exuere  pellibus 

laboriosi  remiges  Ulixei 
volente  Circa  membra ;  tunc  mens  et  sonus 
relapsus  atqiie  notus  in  voltus  honor. 
Dedi  satis  superque  poenarum  tibi, 

20  amata  nautis  multum  et  institoribus. 

Fugit  iuventas  et  verecundus  color, 
reliquit  ossa  pelle  amicta  lurida, 
tuis  capillus  albus  est  odoribus ; 
nullum  a  labore  me  reclinat  otium, 

25  urget  diem  nox  et  di6s  noctem,  neque  est 


15  f.  The  example  of  Circe  is 
well  chosen.  The  poet  prays  that 
Canidia  like  the  early  sorceress 
will  reverse  her  spell.  —  saetosa : 
i.e.  with  swinish  bristles. — duris 
pellibus  :  abl.  with  exuere.  —  labori- 
osi :  Homeric  TroAvrAas,  ttoAutA»^- 
/u,o)v;  best  taken  with  Ulixei.  Still, 
cf.  16,  60. 

17  f.  mens:  Horace  supposes 
that  Circe's  victims  lost  their  minds 
as  well  as  shapes,  but  in  the  Ho- 
meric account  their  fate  is  made 
the  more  pathetic  because  their 
wits  remain.  —  sonus  :  voice.  — 
honor  :  in  contrast  to  the  ugly 
swinish  faces  they  had  just  put  off. 

20.  amata,  etc. :  in  this  ironi- 
cal compliment  Horace  gives  Cani- 
dia the  best  thrust.  —  nautis  .  .  . 
et  institoribus  :  the  lowest  classes  ; 
cf.  n.  to  3,  6,  30. 

21-36.  With  mocking  extrava- 
gance Horace  describes  his  suffer- 
ings.—fugit,  reliquit,  etc.:  note 
the  animated  asyndeton.  —  iuven- 


tas et  .   .  .  color :  modest  youth's 
fresh  color. 

22.  Horace  is  reduced  to  skin 
and  bones.  He  may  have  derived 
his  description  from  Theoc.  2, 
88  ff.  Ka.i  fiev  \  XP^'*  M'"  o/ioTos 
iyivero  TroWaKi  dan{/(i},  |  eppevv  8 
CK  Kf.^a\a<;  iraaaL  Tpi)(€i  •  avra  8e 
Xonra  \  6(tti  It  ^s  /cai  Sip/jua.  'And 
oftentimes  my  skin  waxed  wan  as 
the  color  of  boxwood,  and  all  my 
hair  was  falling  from  my  head,  and 
what  was  left  of  me  was  but  skin 
and  bones '  (Lang).  Cf.  also 
Sil.  Ital.  2,  466  if.  iam  lurida  sola 
I  tecta  cute  et  venis  male  ittncta 
tretnentibus  ossa  \  extant,  consump- 
tis  visu  deform ia  membris. 

23.  albus:  whitened.  —  odori- 
bus :  sweet  sfnelling  (magic)  un- 
guents.    Cf.  5,  59. 

24  f .  labore  :  distress.  —  urget : 
presses  close.  Cf.  C  2,  1 8,  1 5  tru- 
ditur  dies  die.  Note  the  effective 
order  of  the  following.  —  neque  est 
levare  :  a  Greek  construction. 


458 


EPODON    LIBER 


[«7,38 


levare  tenta  spiritu  praecordia. 
Ergo  negatum  vincor  ut  credam  miser, 
Sabella  pectus  increpare  carmina 
caputque  Marsa  dissilire  nenia. 

30  Quid  amplius  vis  ?     O  mare  et  terra,  ardeo 

quantum  neque  atro  delibutus  Hercules 
Nessi  cruore  nee  Sicana  fervida 
virens  in  Aetna  flamma  :  tu,  donee  cinis 
iniuriosis  aridus  ventis  ferar, 

35  cales  venenis  officina  Colchicis. 

Quae  finis  aut  quod  me  manet  stipendium  ? 
Effare  !     lussas  cum  fide  poenas  luam, 
paratus  expiare  seu  poposceris 


26  f .  tenta  spiritu :  gasping, 
strained.  —  negatum  :  sc.  a  jne, 
equivalent    to    qtiod    negaverani. 

28  f.  In  apposition  with  negatum. 

—  Sabella  .  . .  Marsa  :  the  Sabines, 
Marsi,  and  (v.  60)  Paeligni,  all 
mountain  folk,  were  skilled  in 
magic.  —  increpare  :  distress,  assail. 

—  dissilire:  split  in  two.  Popular 
belief  held  that  incantations  liter- 
ally had  this  power  over  snakes. 
Cf.  Verg.  E.  8,  71  frigidus  in 
pratis  cantando  rumpitiir  anguis, 
and  Ovid.  Am.  2,  i,  25  carmine dis- 
siliunt  abruptis  faucibns  angues. 

30.  0  mare  et  terra  :  a  common 
expression  like  our  'great  heavens.' 
Cf.  Plaut.  Trin.  1070  mare  terra 
caelum,  di  vostram  fideml  and 
Ter.  Ad.  790  o  caelum,  o  terra,  0 
Diaria  N^eptuni! 

31  f.  atro:  deadly.  Cf.  C.  i, 
28,  13.  —  delibutus  Hercules:  cf. 
n.  to  3, 1 7.  —  Sicana  :  \\\\hflam?na. 


33  f .  virens  :  ever  burning.  — 
cinis :  a  cinder.  —  iniuriosis  :  re- 
lentless.  Cf.  C.  i,  35,  13  f.  iniu- 
rioso  tie  pede  proruas  \  stantem 
columnatn. 

35.  cales  :  art  hot,  Canidia  be- 
ing identified  with  ofG.cina,  —  she 
is  a  very  '  still-house  '  of  poisons. 
Cf.  Plaut.  True.  581  stabubim 
flagili,  'a  very  stall  of  sin.'  —  Col- 
chicis :  cf.  n.  to  5,  21  ;  also  C.  2, 
2,  13,  8. 

36.  stipendium  :  service,  pen- 
alty. The  figure  of  the  defeated 
foe  {do  mamts  v.  i,  vincor  v.  27) 
is  continued  in  this  word. 

37  f.  Horace  is  willing  to  do 
most  extravagant  penance  (poe- 
nas luam),  whether  she  require 
a  hundred  bullocks  or  even  ask 
that  he  proclaim  her  brilliant 
purity. 

—  seu  .  .  .  sive :  the  same  vari- 
ation C.  I,  4,  12. 


459 


17.  39] 


HORATI 


centum  iuvencis,  sive  mendaci  lyra 
40  voles,  sonare  '  Tu  pudica,  tu  proba 

perambulabis  astra  sidus  aureum.' 
Infamis  Helenae  Castor  offensus  vicem 
fraterque  magni  Castoris,  victi  prece 
adempta  vati  reddidere  lumina  : 
45  et  tu  (potes  nam)  solve  me  dementia, 

o  nee  paternis  obsoleta  sordibus, 
nee  in  sepulcris  pauperum  prudens  anus 
novendialis  dissipare  pulveres ! 
Tibi  hospitale  pectus  et  purae  manus, 


39.  mendaci :  a  telling  thrust. 
This  word  like  sacris  v.  6,  has  a 
double  meaning.  His  lyre  may 
be  mendax  in  what  it  has  already 
said  or  in  what  it  will  proclaim. 

40  f.  sonare  :  sound  abroad. 
Cf.  C.  2,  13,  26.  —  tu  pudica.  tu 
proba  :  so  Catullus  in  mockery 
42,  24  pudica  et  proba,  redde 
codicillos.  —  perambulabis  :  for  her 
virtues  Canidia  shall  be  raised  to 
heaven  and  wander  among  the 
other  stars. 

42-44.  Helen's  brothers,  Cas- 
tor and  Pollux,  punished  her  de- 
famer  Stesichorus  with  blindness 
(cf.  C.  4,  9,  8)  ;  his  recantation  is 
preserved  by  Plato,  Pliaedr.  243  A. 
ovK  ear  Iru/xos  Adyos  ovto?  \  ov8 
e^as  ev  Vfjvcrlv  ivariXfxois,  ovS'  ikco 
Hipyafia  Tpowx?. 

—  vicem :  /oL  —  vati :  a  bard. 
Cf.  n.  to  16,  66. 

45.  et  tu  :  '  you  too  have  divine 
power.'  For  the  complimentary 
potes  nam.  cf.  6".  2, 3,  283  f., '  nniim 


me  stirpite  mortil  dis  etenim  fa- 
cile est '  orabat. 

46-52.  At  the  very  climax  of 
the  appeal  Horace  repeats  the 
worst  slanders  current  against 
Canidia.  —  0  nee  paternis,  etc. : 
'  unsullied  by  disgraceful  parents,' 
implying  that  Canidia's  parentage 
was  dubious.  With  the  phrase,  cf. 
C.  2,  10,  6  obseleti  sordes  tecti,  and 
Cic  pro  Sest.  60  {virtus)  neque 
alienis  wiquani  sordibus  obsolescit. 

47  f .  prudens  anus :  nor  art  thou 
a  hag  skilled  to  scatter.,  etc.  The 
ashes  of  the  poor  whose  relatives 
could  not  protect  their  tombs  were 
stolen  by  such  witches  for  their 
magic  rites.  —  novendialis  :  i.e.  just 
put  away.  According  to  Apul. 
Met.  9,  31  the  funeral  rites  were 
not  ended  until  the  ninth  day 
{tiono  die  completis  apudtumulum 
solleinnibus).  They  closed  appar- 
ently with  a  sacrifice  and  banquet 
in  honor  of  the  dead.  —  pulveres : 
plural,  to  match  sepulcris. 


460 


EPODON   LIBER 


[17,60 


50  tuusque  venter  Pactumeius,  et  tuo 

cruore  rubros  obstetrix  pannos  lavit, 
utcumque  fortis  exsilis  puerpera. 
Quid  obseratis  auribus  fundis  preces  ? 
Non  saxa  nudis  surdiora  navitis 

55  Neptunus  alto  tundit  hibernus  salo. 

Inultus  Lit  tu  riseris  Cotyttia 
volgata,  sacrum  liberi  Cupidinis, 
et  Esquilini  pontifex  venefici 
impune  ut  urbem  nomine  impleris  meo  ? 

60  Quid  proderit  ditasse  Paelignas  anus 


49.  tibi :  sc.  est.  —  hospitale 
pectus,  etc. :  some  wish  to  see 
here  a  reference  to  Ep.  5,  but  per- 
haps the  sneer  should  be  taken  in 
a  general  sense. 

50-52.  tuusque  .  .  .  tuo :  Intr. 
28  c.  The  charge  implied  in  5,  5. 
—  venter :  of.  Livy  i ,  34,  3  igno- 
rans  niirum  ventrem  ferre.  — 
Pactumeius  :  a  genuine  Roman 
name.  —  utcumque,  etc :  as  oftett 
as,  implying  that  Canidia  has  prac- 
ticed this  deceit  more  than  once ; 
her  recovery  is  so  rapid  and  com- 
plete (fortis  exsilis)  that  all  the 
world  knows  her  children  are  sup- 
posititious. 

53.  Canidia's  answer.  The 
poet  skillfully  makes  his  victim 
condemn  herself  by  her  threats  of 
vengeance  on  him,  her  accuser. 

54  f.  non  saxa,  etc.  :  this  line 
continues  the  figure,  and  we  may 
translate,  —  ?-ocis  are  not  .  .  .  when 
Neptune.  Cf.  C.  3,  7,  21  scopu- 
lis  stirdior    /can.  —  nudis  :  ship- 


wrecked and  stripped  of  all  they 
owned. 

56.  inultus  :  emphatic,  express- 
ing the  gist  of  her  exclamation. 
—  ut :  with  the  subj.  in  exclama- 
tion, —  '  What,  shall  you,'  etc.  — 
Cotyttia  :  this  reference  to  the  sen- 
sual orgiastic  worship  of  the  Thra- 
cian  Cotytto  is  only  literary  ;  there 
is  no  evidence  that  it  was  prac- 
ticed at  Rome.  —  sacrum,  etc. : 
added  in  explanation  of  the  fore- 
going. The  rites  are  those  of 
unrestrained  passion  (liberi  Cupi- 
dinis) . 

58.  Esquilini,  etc.  :  the  inter- 
pretation of  this  is  doubtful.  It 
probably  means  that  Canidia  in 
scorn  calls  him  pontifex,  i.e.  cen- 
sor and  judge  of  her  magic  rites, 
for  the  part  he  had  presumed  to 
play  in  representing  her  and  Sa- 
gana  {S.  i,  8)  busy  with  their  foul 
work  among  the  burial  places  of  the 
poor  on  the  Esquiline.  The  ponti- 
fices  had  oversight  over  all  sacra. 


17.61] 


HORATI 


velociusve  miscuisse  toxicum  ? 
Sed  tardiora  fata  te  votis  manent : 
ingrata  misero  vita  ducenda  est  in  hoc, 
novis  ut  usque  suppetas  laboribus. 

6s  Optat  quietem  Pelopis  infidi  pater, 

egens  benignae  Tantalus  semper  dapis, 
optat  Prometheus  obligatus  aliti, 
optat  supremo  conlocare  Sisyphus 
in  monte  saxum  :  sed  vetant  leges  lovis. 

70  Voles  modo  altis  desilire  turribus, 

modo  ense  pectus  Norico  recludere, 
frustraque  vincla  gutturi  nectes  tuo 
fastidiosa  tristis  aegrimonia. 


60  f .  quid  proderit :  '  if  1  fail 
now  to  punish  you,  what  will  be 
the  gain?'  etc.  —  Paelignas  anus  : 
from  whom  she  had  learned  sor- 
cery.—  velociusve:  i.e.  in  its  ef- 
fect ;  connect  with  toxicum. 

62.  sed  tardiora:  'do  not  im- 
agine that  you  will  quickly  meet 
your  doom,  as  you  pray  you  may ; 
I  will  bring  on  you  a  lingering 
death  with  all  the  pangs  a  Tanta- 
lus ever  suffered.' 

63.  misero :  for  the  metre,  see 
Intr.  58.  —  in  hoc:  to  this  end; 
defined  in  the  following  verses. 

64.  usque  :  temporal,  ever.,  con- 
stantly. —  laboribus  :  the  regular 
expression  for  the  torments  of  the 
damned.  Cf.  v.  24  and  C.  2,  13, 
38  ;  14,  19  f.  datnnatusque  lottgi  \ 
Sisyphus  Aeolides  labor  is. 

65  ff.  Three  examples  of  long 
continued    punishment     such    as 


Canidia  will  inflict  on  Horace.  — 
optat  .  .  .  optat  .  .  .  optat:  for 
a  similar  anaphora,  cf.  C  2,  16,  i. 
5.  6.  Intr.  28  c.  —  infidi :  because 
he  treacherously  threw  into  the 
sea  his  charioteer  Myrtilus,  through 
whose  aid  he  had  won  Hippoda- 
mia  as  bride.  Sophocles  says  this 
was  the  beginning  of  the  curse 
that  rested  on  all  of  Pelops'  line. 

—  egens  .  .  .  semper :  ever  long- 
ing for.  —  benignae  :  abundant., 
and  so  increasing  his  suffering. 

67  f.  obligatus  aliti :  the  vulture 
that  continually  fed  on  his  vitals. 

—  supremo:  equivalent  to  the  more 
common  summo  monte. 

70  ff .  '  Thou  wilt  try  all  means 
of  suicide  in  vain.'  —  ense  .  .  . 
Norico:  cf.  n.  to  C.  i,  16,  9. — 
pectus  .  .  .  recludere :  cf.  Verg. 
A.  10,  601  turn,  latebras  animae, 
pectus  mucrone  recludit.  —  vincla : 


462 


EPODON   LIBER 


[17,81 


Vectabor  umeris  tunc  ego  inimicis  eques, 
75  meaeque  terra  cedet  insolentiae. 

An  quae  movere  cereas  imagines, 
ut  ipse  nosti  curiosus,  et  polo 
deripere  lunam  vocibus  possim  meis, 
possim  crematps  excitare  mortuos 
80  desiderique  temperare  pocula, 

plorem  artis  in  te  nil  agentis  exitus  ? 


i.e.  a  noose.  —  fastidiosa :  witJi 
loathing  weariness.  Cf.  C.  3, 
29,9. 

74.  She  will  tame  him  and  ride 
in  triumph  on  his  shoulders.  In 
certain  children's  games  the  one 
defeated  had  to  carry  the  victor 
about  on  his  back.  Cf.  Plant. 
Asin.  699  vehes  pol  hodie  me. 
Such  scenes  were  represented  in 
certain  terra-cotta  groups  and  in 
vase  paintings.  See  Schreiber's 
Atlas.,  pi.  79,  8 ;  Baumeister  no. 
836. 

75.  She  will  spurn  the  earth 
in  her  pride  and  mount  to  the  very 
stars.     Cf.  V.  41. 

76  £f.  an :  introducing  an  in- 
terrogative conclusion.     Cf.  6,  15 


'  or  shall  I  with  all  my  power  have 
to  weep  over  the  failures  of  my 
art.'  Canidia's  claims  here  repeat 
the  account  of  her  practices  given 
in  6".  I,  8,  30-41. — cereas  imagi- 
nes :  i.e.  puppets  representing  the 
person  to  be  affected.  They  are 
mentioned  in  Theoc.  2,  28  and 
Verg.  E.  8,  80;  similar  images 
are  still  used  in  hoodoo  charms. 

78.  deripere  lunam:  cf.  5,  45  f. 
and  n. 

80  f .  desiderique  poculum  :  love 
philters.  Cf.  5,  38  atnoris  pocu- 
lum, and  n.  —  plorem  :  delibera- 
tive subjunc.  —  artis  ...  nil  agen- 
tis :  proleptic  with  exitus,  giving 
the  cause  of  her  grief.  —  in  te  :  abl. 
/;/  thy  case.  —  exitus  :  accusative. 


463 


INDEX   TO   FIRST   LINES 


Aeli  vetusto,  3,  17. 
Aequam  memento,  2,  3. 
Albi,  ne  doleas,  i,  33. 
Altera  iam  teritur,  Epod.  16. 
Angustam  amice  pauperiem,  3,  2. 
At,  o  deorum,  Epod.  5. 
Audivere,  Lyce,  4,  13. 

Bacchum  in  remotis,  2,  19. 
Beatus  ille,  qui  procul,  Epod.  2. 

Caelo  supinas,  3,  23. 
Caelo  totiantem,  3,  5. 
Cum  tu,  Lydia,  Telephi,  1,  13. 
Cur  me  querellis,  2,  17, 

Delicta  maiorum,  3,  6. 
Descende  caelo,  3,  4. 
Dianam  tenerae  dicite,  i,  21. 
Diffugere  nives,  4,  7. 
Dive,  quern  proles  Niobea,  4, 6. 
Divis  orte  bonis,  4,  5. 
Donarem  pateras,  4,  8. 
Donee  gratus  eram  tibi,  3,  9. 

Eheu  fugaces,  2,  14. 
Est  mihi  nonum  superantis,  4,  11. 
Et  ture  et  fidibus  iuvat,  i,  36. 
Exegi  monumentum,  3,  30. 
Extremem  Tanain  si  biberes,  3,  10. 

Fauna  Nympharum,  3,  18. 
Festo  quid  potius  die,  3,  28. 

Herculis  ritu  modo  dictus,  3,  14. 
Horrida  tempestas,  Epod.  13. 


Iam  iam  efficaci,  Epod.  17. 
Iam  pauca  aratro,  2,  15. 
lam  satis  terris,  i,  2. 
Iam  veris  comites,  4,  12. 
Ibisliburnisinteralter  navium,  Epod.  1. 
Icci,  beatis  nunc  Arabum,  i,  29. 
Ille  et  nefasto  te  posuit  die,  2,  13. 
Impios  parrae  recinentis,  3,  27. 
Inclusam  Danaen,  3,  16. 
Intactis  oppulentior,  3,  24. 
Integer  vitae,  i,  22. 
Interraissa,  Venus,  diu,  4,  I. 
lustum  et  tenacem,  3,  3. 

Laudabunt  alii  claram  Rhodon,  i,  7. 
Lupis  et  agnis,  F,pod.  4. 
Lydia,  die,  per  omnes,  i,  8. 

Maecenas  atavis,  1,1. 

Mala  soluta  navis,  Epod.  10. 

Martiis  caelebs,  3,  8. 

Mater  saeva  Cupidinum,  i,  19. 

Mercuri,  facunde  nepos,  i,  10. 

Mercuri,  nam  te  docilis,  3,  il. 

Miserarum  est  neque  amori,  3,  12. 

Mollis  inertia  cur,  Epod.  I4. 

Montium  custos,  3,  22. 

Motum  ex  Metello,  2,  I. 

Musis  amicus  tristitiam,  I,  26. 

Natis  in  usum  laetitiae,  i,  27. 
Ne  forte  credas,  4,  9. 
Ne  sit  ancillae  tibi  amor,  2,  4. 
Nolis  longa  ferae  bella,  2,  12. 
Nondum  subacta  ferre,  2,  5. 
Non  ebur  neque  aureum,  2,  18. 


464 


INDEX   TO   I'IRSr   LINES 


Non  semper  imbres,  2,  9. 

Non  usitata  nee  tenui  ferar,  2,  20. 

Non  vides  quanto,  3,  20. 

Nox  erat  et  caelo,  Epod.  15. 

Nullam,  Vare,  sacra  vite,  1,18, 

NuUus  argento  color,  2,  2. 

Nunc  est  bibendum,  i,  37. 

O  crudelis  adhuc,  4,  10. 

O  diva,  gratum  quae  regis,  i,  35. 

O  fons  Bandusiae,  3,  13. 

O  matre  pulchra  filia,  1,16. 

O  nata  mecum  consule,  3,  21. 

O  navis,  referent  in  mare,  i,  14. 

O  saepe  mecum,  2,  7. 

O  Venus,  regina  Cnidi,  1,  30. 

Odi  profanum  vulgus,  3,  i. 

Otium  divos  rogat,  2,  16. 

Parcius  iunctas,  i,  25. 

Parens  deorum  cultor,  i,  34. 

Parentis  olim  siquis,  Epod.  3. 

Pastor  cum  traheret,  1,15. 

Persicos  odi,  puer,  i,  38. 

Petti,  nihil  me  sicut  antea  iuvat,  Epod. 

II. 
Phoebe  silvarumque  potens,  C.  S. 
Phoebus  volentem,  4,  15. 
Pindarum  quisquis,  4,  2. 
Poscimur,  siquid,  i,  32. 

Quae  cura  patrum,  4,  14. 
Qualem  ministrum,  4,  4. 
Quando  repostum  Caecubum,  Epod.  9. 


Quantum  distet  ab  Inacho,  3,  19. 
Quem  tu,  Melpomene,  semel,  4,  3. 
Quern  virum  aut  heroa,  1,12. 
Quid  bellicosus  Cantaber,  2,  11. 
Quid  dedicatum  poscit,  i,  31. 
Quid  fles,  Asterie,  3,  7. 
Quid  immerentis  hospites,  Epod.  6. 
Quid  tibi  vis,  mulier,  Epod.  1 2. 
Quis  desiderio  sit  pudor,  i,  24. 
Quis  multa  gracilis  te  puer,  i,  5. 
Quo  me,  Bacche,  rapis,  3,  25. 
Quo,  quo  scelesti  ruitis,  Epod.  7. 

Rectius  vives,  Licini,  2,  10. 
Rogare  longo  putidam  te,  Epod.  8. 

Scriberis  Vario,  i,  6. 
Septime,  Gadis  aditure,  2,  6. 
Sic  te  diva  potens  Cypri,  i,  3. 
Solvitur  acris  hiems,  i,  4. 

Te  maris  et  terrae,  i,  28. 

Tu  ne  quaesieris,  i,  11.  , 

Tyrrhena  regum  progenies,  3,  29. 

Vila  si  iuris  tibi,  2,  8. 
Vxor  pauperis  Ibyci,  3,  15. 

Velox  amoenum,  i,  17. 
Vides,  ut  alta,  i,  9. 
Vile  potabis  modicis,  i,  20. 
Vitas  inuleo  me  similis,  i,  23, 
Vixi  pueUis  nuper  idoneus,  3,  26. 


HOR.  CAR.  —  30 


465 


Latin  Prose  Composition 

BASED     ON     CAESAR,     NEPOS,     AND    CICERO 

BY 

CHARLES    CROCKER    DODGE,  B.A. 
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REVISED  EDITION 

VIRGIL'S     AENEID 

With  an  Introduction,  Notes,  and  Vocabulary  by  HENRY  S.  FRIEZE, 
late  Professor  of  Latin  in  the  University  of  Michigan.  Revised  by 
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HARKNESS      AND      FORBES'S 

Caesar's    Commentaries 
on  the   Gallic  War 

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begins  with  a  brief  summary  in  English. 

3.  The  notes  are  intended  to  guide  the  faithful  efforts  of  the  student  and 
to  interest  him  in  the  stirring  events  recorded  in  the  Commentaries.  Special  atten- 
tion has  been  given  to  the  difficult  subjects  of  the  subjunctive  mood  and  of  the 
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duced in  their  natural  colors.  Besides  these,  there* are  many  other  illustrations, 
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Latin  Literature  of  the   Empire 

Selected  and  Edited  with  Revised  Texts  and  Brief  Introductions 

By  ALFRED   GUDEMAN,  Ph.D. 
Associate  Professor  of  Classical  Philology,  University  of  Pennsylvania 

In  Tv\^o  Volumes      Cloth,  12mo.      Per  Volume,  $1.80 

Vol.  I — Prose.  Selections  from  Velleius,  Curtius,  Seneca  Rhetor, 
Justinus  (Trogus  Pompeius),  Seneca,  Petronius,  including  Cena 
Trimalchionis,  Pliny  the  Elder,  Quintilian,  Tacitus,  Pliny  the 
Younger,  Suetonius,  Minucius  Felix  Octavius,  Apuleius — Ammianus 
Marcellinus,  and  Boethius. 

Vol.  II — Poetry.  Pseudo  Vergiliana,  Aetna,  Manilius,  Calpurnius, 
Nemesianus,  Phaedrus,  Lucan,  Valerius  Flaccus,  Seneca,  the 
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Introduction  to   the   Study  of 
Latin    Inscriptions 

By  JAMES  C.  EGBERT,  Jr.,  Ph.D. 
Adjunct  Professor  of  Latin,  Columbia  University 

Half  Morocco,  large  12mo,  468  pages.     With  numerous  illustrations  and 
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general  readers.  It  has  been  prepared  in  the  belief  that 
a  knowledge  of  epigraphy  forms  an  essential  part  of  the 
equipment  of  a  teacher  of  the  classics,  and  that  the  sub- 
ject itself  has  become  so  important  as  to  justify  its  intro- 
duction, in  elementary  form  at  least,  into  the  curriculum 
of  undergraduate  studies. 

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pose of  illustrating  the  text,  and  for  practice  in  reading. 
Of  these,  over  one  hundred  are  photographic  repro- 
ductions, showing  the  forms  of  the  letters  and  the 
arrangement  of  the  inscriptions.  The  work  is  also  sup- 
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Cicero's     Cato    Maior    De    Senectute 

EDITED   WITH    INTRODUCTION    AND   NOTES   BY 

FRANK    ERNEST    ROCKWOOD,   A.M. 

Professor  of  Latin  in  Bucknell  University 

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Cicero's  defense  of  old  age  is  so  charming  in  style  and 
so  interesting  in  matter  that  it  deserves  something  more 
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matical and  linguistic  usage.  Accordingly  an  attempt  has 
been  made  in  the  illustrative  notes,  on  the  pages  with 
the  text,  to  give  prominence  to  the  historical  and 
literary  features  of  the  essay,  and  to  show  by  numerous 
quotations  what  ancient  and  modern  authors  have  uttered 
like  thoughts,  couched  in  similar  forms  of  expression. 

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literary  element,  the  grammatical  and  textual  commentary 
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The  commentaries  are  supplemented  by  a  list  of  variations 
from  the  text  of  Miiller,  an  index  to  the  notes,  and  an 
index  of  proper  names. 

The  text  is  preceded  by  an  introduction  containing  a 
life  of  Cicero,  a  resum^  of  his  works,  a  valuable  bibli- 
ography, and  a  discussion,  analysis,  and  summary  of  the 
De  Senectute. 


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Roman  Life  in  Latin  Prose  and  Verse 

ILLUSTRATIVE   READINGS  FROM  LATIN 
LITERATURE 

SELECTED    AND   EDITED    BY 

n.  T.  PECK,  Ph.D. 
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in  such  a  course.  The  selections  range  from  the  popular 
songs  which  antedate  written  literature,  to  the  Christian 
hymns  of  the  third  century,  covering  the  early  dramatists, 
historians,  orators,  philosophers,  the  writers  of  satire  and 
epigram,  the  lyric  and  epic  poets,  the  collectors  of  anec- 
dotes, letter  writers,  and  authors  of  prose  works,  and 
including  other  material  of  a  popular  nature,  such  as 
lampoons,  parodies,  epitaphs,  advertisements,  announce- 
ments of  ball  games,  theatrical  and  gladiatorial  notices, 
etc.  To  each  selection  is  prefixed  a  concise  account  of 
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bibliography.  For  convenience  in  sight  reading  the  text 
is  provided  with  a  translation  of  the  more  difficult  words, 
and  is  followed  by  a  fuller  commentary  on  special  points 
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Cicero's   Laelius   De   Amicitia 


EDITED    WITH    INTRODUCTION   AND    NOTES    BY 

JOHN   K.   LORD,  Ph.D. 
Professor  of  Latin,  Dartmouth  College. 

REVISED  EDITION 


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attention  of  the  student  has  been  called  by  translation 
and  remark  upon  special  passages,  to  the  literary  char- 
acter of  the  essay  and  to  the  clear  and  happy  development 
of  the  subject. 

The  Introduction  gives  an  interesting  historical  sketch 
of  Cicero's  life  which  cannot  fail  to  impart  a  clear  appre- 
ciation of  the  man  and  his  work.  This  is  followed  by  an 
analysis  and  summary  of  the  Laelius  which  will  prepare 
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Hadley  and  Allen's  Greek  Grammar 

By  JAMES   HADLEY  (Yale) 

REVISED   BY 

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LIDDELL  AND  SCOTT'S  GREEK-ENGLISH   LEXICON 

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THAYER'S  GREEK-ENGLISH   LEXICON   OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 
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and  carefully  explains  the  difference  between  classical  and  sacred  usage. 

YONGE'S  ENGLISH-GREEK  LEXICON 

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AUTENRIETH'S  HOMERIC  DICTIONARY 

Translated  and  Edited  by  Robert  P.  Keep,  Ph.D.     New  Edition. 

Revised  by  Isaac  Flagg,  Ph.D. 

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Xenophon's    Anabasis 

SEVEN    BOORS 

EDITED    BY 

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President  of  the  University  of  Chicago 

AND 

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Introduction  on  Persia  and  Greece ;  a  concise  life  of 
Xenophon;  Bibliography;  Itinerary;  Inductive  Exercises 
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Plato's  Apology  of  Socrates  and  Crito, 
and  a  Part  of  the  Phaedo 

With  Introduction,  Commentary,  and  Critical  Appendix 

By  Rev.  C.  L.  KITCHEL,  M.A. 
Instructor  in  Greek  in  Yale  University 

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The  Dialogues  of  Plato  contained  in  this  volume 
exhibit  the  moral  qualities  of  Socrates  in  their  highest 
manifestations,  and  also  give  some  insight  into  those 
intellectual  processes  by  virtue  of  which  he  mac'  ^  an 
epoch  in  philosophy.  In  addition  to  the  Apology  ^.nd  Crito 
there  has  been  included  that  part  of  the  Phaedo  which 
describes  in  detail  the  last  sayings  and  doings  of  Socrates. 

The  Introduction  gives  a  clear  and  comprehensive 
outline  of  the  life,  character,  and  philosophy  of  Socrates. 
This  historical  sketch  is  followed  by  other  aids  to  an 
understanding  of  Plato's  dramatic  representation  of  his 
great  master  and  by  a  critical  analysis  of  the  argument 
pursued  in  the  Dialogues. 

The  Text  is  based  upon  that  of  Wohlrab  in  his  revision 
of  the  text  of  Hermann  (6  vols.,  Teubner,  Leipzig — Vol.  I, 
1 886).  The  grammatical  and  exegetical  notes  have  been 
drawn  principally  from  Cron  (Teubner,  Leipzig,  1895). 
The  appendix  contains  a  brief  account  of  the  notable 
manuscripts  and  editions  of  Plato's  works  and  some  of 
the  more  important  variations  in  the  text  of  the  Apology, 
the  Crito,  and  the  Phaedo,  together  with  the  principal 
authorities  for  each  variation. 


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